A unique film, The Tin Drum was one of the most successful films from West Germany during the 1970s.

The story, based on the celebrated novel by Nobel laureate Gunter Grass, is complex and nearly surreal. The setting in Danzig, Poland, from the late 1920s through the end of World War II. At the age of three, Oskar Matzerath (David Bennent) sees the corrupt behavior of adults and condemns it. He decides to stop growing, retaining the appearance of a boy throughout the film.

Many people who have seen The Tin Drum hate the film. They are repulsed by the film's more grotesque images, such as eels writhing out of a horse's head. The eels are later beheaded on camera. A live frog is dropped into boiling water. Oskar's mother, Agnes (Angela Winkler) is shown shoving a tin of sardines into her mouth, then chewing them with her mouth still open.

But these unsettling images are not nearly as shocking as the sex scenes. David Bennent, not yet a teenager, is shown making love to a comely young woman. The Tin Drum was recently banned in Oklahoma as child pornography, adding to the film's notoriety.

Further decadence exists in the crazy Matzerath family tree. Oskar has two presumed fathers, the more likely of which is Agnes' lover Jan Bronski (Daniel Olbrychski). Agnes cavorts openly with Jan even in the presence of her husband Alfred (Mario Adorf), who doesn't seem to mind. Oskar himself may well be the father of a child with Maria (Katharina Thalbach), who may or may not be married to Alfred at the time of birth.

The chaotic and unseemly actions of the lead characters are symptomatic with what is happening to Danzig itself. The city grows turbulent with strife between the Germans and Poles, and Jews and Protestants. The Nazi movement rises and asserts itself, sweeping the Matzerath family into its destructive path.

While the film is not for everyone, those with the stomach for it may benefit from the experience. Life is not always pleasant. When countries make terrible mistakes, their people can suffer as a consequence. But they deserve some of the blame as well, whether they supported the ugly policies themselves, or simply looked the other way. It is suggested that a corruption in personal behavior and lifestyle can lead to a similar moral decay in society and government.

The DVD for this film features an excellent audio commentary from the director, Volker Schlondorff. In addition to providing valuable trivia and insights into the making of The Tin Drum, Schlondorff also reflects upon the relationships between literature and film, and discusses his philosophies of filmmaking.

A director's commentary is usually more useful than that of a film critic. The critic will provide reasonable information and analysis of a film, but can never know as much about the production as the director. Further, the critic is unable to say anything negative, because the commission (and future ones as well) may be lost.

The Tin Drum won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It was the first German film to do so. It also won the Golden Palm at Cannes. (87/100)

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Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older