The Tin Drum

For no valid reason, The Tin Drum was the focus of one of the most egregious censorship battles in recent American history, when right-wing conservatives in Oklahoma tried to ban the Oscar-winning German film on groundless charges of child pornography, thereby sparking a high-profile battle over first amendment rights (not surprisingly, the case was lost, and The Tin Drum became the most-rented foreign film in Oklahoma video stores). Faithfully adapted from the acclaimed novel by Günter Grass, Volker Schlöndorff's 1979 film is still capable of stirring controversy (and yes, it does have one scene--definitely non-pornographic--involving a young boy and a naked woman), but it's best known for the riveting lead performance by precocious 11-year-old David Bennent, who is absolutely fascinating in the role of Oskar, a young Polish boy who, at the age of three, wills himself to stop growing as a protest against the hypocrisies of adulthood and the absurdities of World War II, which erupts in his hometown of Danzig (a.k.a. Gdansk). Blending stark realism with surrealist fantasy, The Tin Drum is a strange, beautiful, and unsettling film, following the perpetual boy Oskar over a span of 21 years (1924-1945) and featuring satirical barbs aimed at the brutal Nazi regime. Boasting a characteristically gorgeous DVD transfer, this Criterion Collection double-disc set also sports abundant supplementary features, including an informative commentary by director Schlöndorff, rare behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, a reading from the novel by the author, deleted scenes, an alternate screenplay ending, and a fascinating half-hour documentary on the Oklahoma censorship controversy. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Jan. 15, 2013—Criterion, 163 min., in German w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1979's The Tin Drum is presented in a 163-minute director's cut and boasts a handsome transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 audio on Blu-ray. Extras include a “making-of” interview with director Volker Schlöndorff (68 min.), an interview with film scholar Timothy Corrigan (20 min.), “The Platform” with author Günter Grass reading an excerpt from the novel (9 min.), four television interview excerpts from 1979 with Schlöndorff, Grass, costars David Bennent and Mario Adorf, and co-writer Jean-Claude Carrière (14 min.), a trailer, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey Macnab and statements from 1978 about the adaptation by Grass. Bottom line: a contemporary foreign classic in its original form sparkles on DVD and Blu-ray.]