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.

"The Tin Drum" shared the Palme d'Or award for Best Picture with "Apocalypse Now" at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979.

In his Oscar acceptance speech for the Best Foreign Film award in 1979, director Volker Schlöndorff commented, "You know, it's the first award ever given to a film of my country. There's been lots of reasons for that, we know! But I take it as a tribute to my fellow directors over there and for all those whose traditions we want to pick up and follow, and who worked and lived here, I mean, Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, Ernst Lubitsch, F.W. Murnau and G.W. Pabst."

This production had the highest budget of any film in modern Germany's cinematic history.

Shot on location in Poland, France, Yugoslavia and West Germany; color by Eastmancolor.

Additional cast: Fritz Hakl (Bebra), Mariella Oliveri (Roswitha), Berta Drews (Oma Anna), Roland Teubner (Joseph Koljaiczek), Ernst Jacobi (Loebsack), Werner Rehm (Scheffler), Ilse Page (Gretchen Scheffler).

A Franz Seitz Film/Bioskop-Film/Artemis Film/ Hallelujah-Film/ GGB 14.KG/Argos Films Paris production in collaboration with Jadran Film Zagreb and Film Polski Warsaw. World rights, United Artists.

Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Single Side - Dual Layer
Widescreen - 1.78
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - German
Mono - German
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes
Documentary: "Banned in Oklahoma"
Isolate Music Track by Composer Maurice Jarre
Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer
Video Interviews:
1. Volker Schlondorff - Director, David Bennent - Star (at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival)
2. Jean-Claude Carriere - Co-Writer, Mario Adorf - Star
3. Schlondorff - Director, Gunter Grass - Writer (On Set)
4. Schlondorff - Director (After Winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes)
Audio Commentary: Volker Schlondorff - Director, Co-Writer
Featurette:
1. "Volker Schlondorff Remembers THE TIN DRUM" (21:00)
2. "The Platform" (Rare 1987 German Recording of Grass Reading From THE TIN DRUM Accompanied by the Music of Famed Improvisational Percussionist Gunter "Baby" Sommer"
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Sketches, Designs, and Promotional Art
Reprinted Exceprt of the Screenplay's Original, Unfilmed Ending

David Bennent: Swiss actor, THE TIN DRUM, LEGEND
Mario Adorf: Swiss Character Actor
Angela Winkler: Actress/"Tin Drum"

Volker Schlöndorff: German Director/Screenwriter

Franz Seitz: PRODUCER
Anatole Dauman: Producer

Maurice Jarre: Composer, GHOST (1990)

Suzanne Baron: Editor

"...This is an entertaining [picture]....Several scenes in TIN DRUM are eye-catchers..."
"...The film's power and invention leave scars..." - Recommended