Release Date (UK DVD) – 30th January 2012
Certificate (UK DVD) – 15
Running Time – 136 minutes
Country – Germany, France, Poland, Yugoslavia
Director – Volker Schlöndorff
Starring – David Bennent, Mario Adorf, Angela Winkler, Daniel Olbrychski, Katharina Thalbach, Charles Aznavour
This month sees the release of Volker Schlöndorff’s 1979 adaptation of Günter Grass’s 1959 novel, The Tin Drum. After it’s initial success at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme D’or, the film also went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It has also attracted it’s fair share of controversy over the years and was banned in Oklahoma in the 90′s due to accusations of child pornography (a decision later overturned).
A boy called Oskar Matzerath (Bennent) is born in the ‘free city’ of Danzig in the 20′s, to a local shop keeper called Alfred (Adorf) and Agnes (Winkler) the daughter of a Kashubian peasant. Blessed with advanced intellect from birth he is promised a tin drum on his third birthday. When that day comes he observes the adults around him, in particular his mother and her cousin and lover Jan (Olbrychski), who may also be Oskar’s actual father and decides that he never wants to grow up and be a part of the adult world. Faking an accident to convince his parents he has been hurt, he stops growing. His drum becomes his constant companion, and uses it to express his displeasure at what he sees around him. When his father attempts to take the drum away from him he also discovers an ability to emit a high-pitched scream that can shatter glass. It’s through his eyes that we see the rise of Nazism and the outbreak of World War II.
As well as it’s controversial reputation, The Tin Drum has also attained something of a classic status. However I found it slightly disappointing. Possibly just because I’ve known about this film for quite a long time now, so had built it up in my mind as some kind of masterpiece. There’s is definitely a great deal to admire about the film, and it has many striking and memorable scenes throughout, but I found it slightly unsatisfying as a whole and quite a difficult film to get through.
However, there are plenty of things to admire. The film is very well-shot and directed and perfectly played by an excellent cast. It has a very striking opening, with Oskar’s grandmother giving refuge to an man pursued by German officers underneath her skirts and in turn conceiving his mother. From then on the film is punctuated with many arresting and well-realised scenes. Oskar in his mother’s womb (also played by Bennett), Oskar’s fall down the cellar steps and any of the scenes that show Oskar’s ability to shatter glass. One of it’s finest scenes shows Oskar sneaking into a Nazi rally and hiding under the platform. As the Nazi Youth drummers start to play, Oskar starts up his own beat and slowly affects the band’s tune until they are playing the ‘Blue Danube Waltz’ and the crowds start to dance. The heaven’s open and a carefully ordered and run Nazi rally has descended into chaos. Apparently Schlöndorff shot this scene first, as he likes to start with the most complicated scene and it is definitely one of the best moments of the film; showing Oskar’s ability to disrupt those around him very effectively and with great wit.
There are more problematic scenes that are no less interesting, but can make the film a difficult one to watch. A scene where the family come across a man fishing for eels, only to discover that his fishing methods involve using the severed head of a horse, is a particularly unpleasant one. It’s a very nauseating moment and one that those without a strong stomach may want to look away during. The films most controversial scenes, that show the young Oskar in sexual situations, still seem slightly troublesome even today. Though they are obviously a world away from the child pornography accusations that were levelled against them and are definitely not in anyway explicit. The fact that a child of twelve is involved in them will still prove to be a problem for many viewers.
These scenes do make The Tin Drum a hard film to watch but it’s another aspect of the film that could prove a stumbling block for many. Namely Oskar himself. Though presumably intended in some way as an innocent reflecting on an adult way of life, Oskar is also quite an unpleasant and unlikeable character himself. His incessant drumming and high-pitched screaming make him a very difficult character to warm to and as he’s the main character and an almost constant presence, this does present it’s own problems. He is also indirectly responsible for the death of several characters including those in his own family. Though a very unique and compelling character to a large extent, many viewers are more likely to just see him as a spoilt and selfish brat.
For all Oskar’s faults as a character though, it’s hard to fault 12 year-old David Bennent’s performance. As the film progresses Bennent skilfully conveys the child who is mentally becoming more mature but physically remaining a child. It’s an accomplished and quite subtle performance in some regards. With his piercing eyes, he’s a compelling screen presence throughout. The supporting cast are equally as impressive. Mario Adorf, Angela Winkler and Daniel Olbrychski are all good as the adults in Oskar’s life, and Katharina Thalbach makes a strong impression as the young teenager who Oskar has his first sexual experience with. In a smaller role, the French singer and actor Charles Aznavour gives a very moving performance as the Jewish toy shop owner who replaces Oskar’s broken tin drums and harbours a secret love for Oskar’s mother.
For all it’s qualities however, The Tin Drum didn’t quite work for me. It’s episodic nature made it feel a lot longer than it was and I soon grew less interested in Oskar’s journey as the film went on. A matter not helped by having such a selfish and often unpleasant character at it’s centre. The films attempts at allegory feel confused and occasionally heavy-handed and left me none the wiser.
It’s still worth a look though, if only to see what the fuss is all about. There is also plenty of striking imagery on display and a central performance that is as extraordinary as it is potentially alienating. As a study of World War II as seen through the eyes of an innocent I would recommend Elem Klimov’s 1985 film Come and See, a considerably more powerful masterpiece than this. Though I’m glad I finally got to see it, I can’t say it’s a film I particularly want to revisit again.
DVD extras include two short interviews with Volker Schlöndorff from 2001, a trailer and an occasionally informative if slightly dry commentary with Schlöndorff. It has plenty of interesting details about certain aspects of the production including the simple effects that were used throughout, and Schlöndorff’s take on what it all means (though I can’t say it left me with much more of an understanding myself). The Blu-ray also includes the director’s cut of the film which is seen in the UK for the first time since it’s premiere at Cannes and another interview with Schlöndorff from 2011 about the new cut of the film. The package will also come with a comprehensive booklet featuring brand new articles about the film, Schlöndorff diary extracts, writing by screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière & Günter Grass and archival stills.
The Tin Drum is released as a dual format edition (Blu-ray, DVD) on the 30th January 2012 and can be ordered here
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