What is the significance of the way in which Paul dies in the movie?

Paul dies in both versions of the movie as he dies in the book. Certainly Paul's death at the end of the book symbolizes the futility of war. Paul dies just before peace is struck. Through the whole story Paul had been robbed of his innocence. We experience the war through Paul's eyes hence his death is really our death so far as the story is concerned. We get the feeling that nothing good, in any sense, came out of this conflict.