THE TIN DRUM

West Germany, 1979, 139 minutes, Colour.
Mario Adorf, Angela Winkler, David Bennent, Daniel Olbrychski. Katharina Thalbach.
Directed by Volker Schloendorff.

Oscar and Cannes co-winner, this major German film industry production is a version of Gunther Grass's novel which serves as an allegory for Germany this century. Using voice-over commentary, devices of black comedy mixed with period melodrama, the film focuses on Oskar who decides not to grow up from the age of three, but who beats his tin drum and screams, shattering glass. He becomes a symbol of Hitler and of Germany itself ? as do the characters associated with Oskar. The changes of tone and the farcical and ironic touches require attention and appreciation. Director Volker Schloendorff, a major German director, and his artists offer an interesting attempt at visualising literature.

1. The literary work of Gunther Grass, his reputation, awards? His insight into Germany? The work of Volker Sch16ndorff, his skills, awards? The film's Oscar, Cannes Film Festival Award?

2. The role of the German film industry in the '70s, its qualities, characteristics, production values? The magnitude of this production?

3. How successful an adaptation of a major novel for the screen? The epic style coverage of the decades of German history,, the episodic nature of the film,, the variety of styles and tones, satire, symbolism, allegory? How well did they blend? Draw the audience into responding appropriately to the variety of styles?

4. The cumulative effect of the film and its episodes? As an insight into the history of Germany from 1900 to the end of the war? The delineation of the characters - as real, as symbols? The interweaving of the thews and the author's comment on these?

5. Audience involvement with the characters, plot? Distancing techniques? Audiences reflecting on the themes while watching because of such techniques? The quality of the voice-over technique, Oskar speaking even before he was born? His description of his grandmother, her plight, grandfather? His own birth, his view of the world? The subjectivity of his view? His decision not to grow up, his strategies?

6. The devices of black comedy and their insertion into the film? The history of the development of cinema and its being reflected in the techniques representing the various decades of this century? The satire on Oskar's grandmother and her shielding her lover, his escape and the speculation of his becoming an American gangster? The farcical aspects of Oskar as a character,, his mother and her suitors? The situation in Danzig? The black comedy and audience laughter? The presentation of Hitler as such and the mockery of him? Farcical situations,, exaggeration? Presented in a realistic style or not?

7. The span of German history presented and the developing allegory? Danzig taken as a symbolic city ? a free town. the meeting of Germans and Poles? Oskar's Polish origins? German origins? His grandmother representing Germany of the 19th. century? Her work in the fields, the pursuit of her husband, the soldiers? Her taking a Pole under her skirts? The marriage of Germany and Poland? The double heritage for the 20th. century? The oppression of the Polish side and the supremacy of the Germans? The confusion at the beginning of the century. being plunged into World War One and its repercussions? The dominance of Germans in the '20s and '30s? Oskar as representing the Polish and German origins? Germany in the '30s and '40s? His love for an Italian dwarf? The tin drum, his screaming and shattering glass? His downfall and his decision to continue growing?

8. The portrait of Oskar's grandmother, the meeting with the Pole and its effect? The marriage. his escape? The reflection of 1900 and the subsequent years?

9. Agnes as the product of this union? Her flirting with the two men? The same flirtation with Germans and Poles? The grandmother and her growing older and watching. selling during World War One and surviving? Her representing the solid peasants of the earth forced to go into the cities? Her presence during Agnes' growing up, liaisons, the birth of Oskar? Her survival right throughout the two world wars? Her judgments on what had happened to her children and grandchildren?

10. The presentation of World War One - causes, impact? Jan and his wanting to go into the army? Agnes' German husband, his involvement? The double love for Agnes and the birth of Oskar? Real fathers, putative fathers? The German becoming the husband and the Pole the lover? The presentation of home life, Agnes' ambiguity, the arrogant relationship with the German, the sensual liaison in hiding with the Pole? The religious background ? 19th. century heritage, Lutheran, Catholic? Friendship with Jews? The preparation for Oskar being born?

11. Oskar's comments on his conception, the subjective camera work for his coming to birth? His comments on not wanting to be born? The irony of his subsequent career and his reluctance to be born? His focus on the tin drum, its significance and symbolism? His getting it on his third birthday? His attitude towards the parent generation, his disgust with their clashing, his decision to contrive his own fall? The significance of his decision to stop growing? The effect on him? The appearances of a child and the stunting of his growth? The adult within? The midget? His meeting the other dwarfs and liaison with them? The circus? The later encounter with Maria? His liaison with an Italian midget and the comment on Mussolini? His various comments on the adults, his moods? His reaction to the Jewish bookseller, his being at school, the hostility towards the teacher? The sequences of his playing the drum, the examples of his shattering the glass? The German and Nazi rallies? The implications of sexuality? the stunted growth, the sensuality, the prostitute? Maria and her service during the war and the sensual liaison ? and its ludicrous aspects? Her influence on him? The birth of her child and Oskar's vengeance and capitulation finally towards Kurt? The reasons for his decision to grow again?

12. The portrait of Agnes - as a woman, her ambiguous relationships with the two men? Her attitude towards Oskar? Her confession, the sequences at the beach, the eels and her eating them, the greediness especially during her pregnancy? Her sensuality, her death? Oskar and his role in killing his mother and its meaning?

13. The contrast with his grandmother who was always there? The two men and Oskar's vengeance towards them? His attitude towards Kurt and the grandmother's love of her grandchild? Her trying to foster a new generation?

14. Jan the Pole, his work, the sensuality, his how, sharing the experiences with Agnes? Playing with Oskar, providing him with tin drum , the Nazi attack, the contrast with Agnes' husband, the siege and bombardment in the post office, his finally being led to execution and Oskar's role in Jan's death?

15. The husband? Oskar's father, his roughness of manner, his being blamed for Oskar's accident and the stunting of his growth, the beach sequences, the eels? His decision to be a Nazi? Agnes' death and his reaction? Maria and his liaison with her, the father of Kurt? His survival during the war and his arrogance? His death ? and swallowing his Nazi button, Oskar being instrumental in his death, the violent choking, burial?

16. Markus - the gentle Jew, Charles Aznavour in this role? Toys, joy, kindness towards 0skar, kindness towards Agnes and her rejection of him? Symbolising the Jews? The pathos of his death?

17. The detailed presentation of the neighbours during the 20s and 30s, the relationship with Agnes and her men, love for Oskar, presence at the party especially when he had the accident? The difficulties in the war years? The ambiguity of the range of people with their problems e.g. homosexuality? The cross-section of German people and their experience of the war?

18. Germany in the '20s - the comic presentation of Hitler and his pretensions, the rallies and the rain, the visual presentation of the rallies and people's reaction? What insight into Hitler's influence over the people - its comic and carnal aspects?

19. The contrast with the war itself, the bombs, suffering, the loss of freedom? The Poles and their obstruction? The contrast with Oskar and his escape, his linking with the dwarfs, his liaison with the Italian dwarf and its significance? The importance of their going to Paris and an illustration of German invasions, occupations of other countries? The ironies of the dwarfs occupying Paris? Oskar and his survival of the war?

20. Oskar and his decision to grow and symbols of reconstruction? A Germany based on this experience?

21. The quality of the film in its characterisations, reproduction of the periods, attention to character detail and symbolic action? The allegorical themes?