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Features: DVD, Mono Audio, English, Subtitled
Danzig, Germany, 1924. Oskar Matzerath is born with an intellect beyond his infancy. As he witnesses the hypocrisy of adulthood and the irresponsibility of society, Oskar rejects both, and, at his third birthday, refuses to grow older. Caught in a baffling state of perpetual childhood, Oskar lashes out at all he surveys with piercing screams and frantic poundings on his tin drum, while the unheeding, chaotic world marches onward to the madness and folly of World War II. Honored with the Palme d'Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival and the 1979 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, Volker Schlondorff's The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel) is a truly visionary adaptation of Nobel laureate Gunter Grass' acclaimed novel, an unforgettable fantasia of surreal imagery, striking eroticism, and unflinching satire.
Editor's Note
Novelist Günter Grass assisted in this brilliant film adaptation of his groundbreaking novel, which depicts the significant events in German history since the turn of the century as seen through the eyes of a bizarre child. In this allegorical film, a three-year-old boy observes the hypocrisy of the adult world and decides to remain a child forever by not growing any taller. His primary efforts to communicate consist of glass-shattering screams and banging on his tin drum. But as this unusual lad matures, and the events leading up to the onslaught of Nazism come to a head, he proves to have a keener perception of life than those around him. Volker Schlondorff's powerful drama deservedly won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Plot Summary
Gnter Grass assisted in this film adaptation of his groundbreaking novel, which depicts the significant events in German history since the turn of the century as seen through the eyes of a bizarre child.| In this allegorical film, a three-year-old boy observes the hypocrisy of the adult world and decides to remain a child forever by not growing any taller. His primary efforts to communicate consist of glass-shattering screams and banging on his tin drum. But as this unusual lad matures, and the events leading up to the onslaught of Nazism come to a head, he proves to have a keener perception of life than those around him.
| Features | Audio: German Mono | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English | | The Platform,” a rare 1987 German recording of Günter Grass reading an excerpt from his novel The Tin Drum, accompanied by the music of famed improvisational percussionist Günter “Baby” Sommer | | Production sketches, designs and promotional art | | Original Trailer | | Rare deleted scenes,featuring commentary by Schlöndorff | | Volker Schlöndorff Remembers The Tin Drum, a montage featuring Schlöndorff’s thoughts and recollections about the film, along with on-set photos, storyboards, and images not included in the final film | | An illuminating collection of video interviews: with Schlöndorff and actor David Bennent at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival; co-writer Jean-Claude Carrière and actor Mario Adorf; Schlöndorff and author Günter Grass during filming; and Schlöndorff after winn | | Audio commentary by director and cowriter Volker Schlöndorff | | Remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack | | Isolated score by Maurice Jarre | | DIRECTOR APPROVED DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES | | New digital transfer, with restored image and sound and enhanced for widescreen televisions |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Home Vision/Public Media |
| Release Date: 5/18/2004 |
| Running Time: 142 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1979 | | Catalog ID: 020 | | UPC: 00037429187128 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: German | | Available Audio Tracks: German | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.77:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Academy Awards (1979) |  | Winner, Best Foreign Language Film | |
Cannes (1979) | | Winner, Palme d'Or | | Volker Schlöndorff, Winner, Palme d'Or |
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| | Professional Reviews | Premiere
"...The film's power and invention leave scars..." - Recommended 12/01/1996 p.117Variety
"...This is an entertaining [picture]....Several scenes in TIN DRUM are eye-catchers..." 05/16/1979 |
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