Using the main universal truth of dehumanization of war, Remarque presents to us the compelling story of Paul Baumer, who goes through the most traumatic experience in life as he loses all his dearest friends and becomes estranged to his past. Both the novel and movie successfully bring out the theme of the terrible brutality of war, just in different ways. Using figurative language skill, Remarque in the novel illustrates the psychological damage on soldiers while the movie, using visual effects, shows the physical damage. As a result, they both send an eloquent message about the horror of war. Also, Paul's character is appropriately developed in both novel and the movie. In the novel, readers can go into Paul's mind and comprehend his thoughts; in the movie, audience can see Paul's facial expression and straightforward reaction towards various events. It is hard to judge which version of the story is better because both the novel and the movie achieve the goal of revealing the truth of war.
The film version of All Quiet on the Western Front should be greatly credited because it moves the audience with thrilling scenes while the words in the novel are simply black and white. The novel requires the readers to have unconstrained imagination in order to step into Paul's world. Through the aid of visualization, the movie version demonstrates some additional emotional details. For example, the movie shows Paul's