Rating: 
Summary: They forgot something from the book
Review: I found this movie to be very good and very true to the book. I had only three problems. First, they forgot to include the last two hundred pages of the novel. This means that were the film ended was actually the middle of the novel. They also neglected to mention that the story was being narrated from an insane asylum. Lastly the film portrayed Oskar in such a way that he was guiltless of the various deaths in the movie (eg: Bronski, Jan, his italian girlfriend.) In the book, he was clearly responsible for all these deaths, which one would have seen had a large chunk of the story not been omited. Besides these issues, what there was of the movie was quite good.C-
Rating: 
Summary: Uh-uh
Review: I honestly thought I'd like this movie, but it was disappointing. Not in the worst way a movie can be, which is to say boring, but in that its shock elements outweighed the theme and message and reduced it to, basically, soft-core child porn. (To the viewer who called it a "masterpiece in its own right" -- which I haven't heard in years -- I defy you to define that expression.)
Rating: 
Summary: Saw this when I was 4, must be good if I remember the name.
Review: I liked the movie and my sister and I still talk about wanting to see it again. A one word description of this movie would be "weird". But it is definately worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: Germany's answer to "Gone With The Wind".
Review: I loved this film! There were always times I wanted to will myself to be a child forever and this movie helps many of those with that wish. This is a great fantasy to lose yourself in! I normally don't care much for foreign films with subtitles, but who cares in this case!
Rating:
Summary: Book and DVD both worth having
Review: I read the book two weeks ago and have just viewed the Criterion Collection DVD. I found the book to be complex, rich, insightful, puzzling, and surreal. I loved it. This film comes as close as any film could to the spirit of the novel and still be under 3 hours long. Oskar is born to three parents who, like the Gdansk they live in, represent 3 ethnic groups: Pole, Kashubian, and German. He is fully conscious at birth and is presented with two paths for his life - one as a shopkeeper and one as a musician. While the people of 1930's Gdansk/Danzig feel forced to choose ethnic sides and mundane occupations, Oskar rejects the "stupid" adult world. He stops growing and learns to assert some control over adults through his drumming and vocal talents. One of my favorite sections of the book is when he musically subverts a large Nazi rally. Not only was this well done in the movie but was worked into a bonus feature that had Grass reading the book chapter while we watch the corresponding section of the film. The words of the spoken German as well as the subtitled English translation have a lot of power and poetry - this feature is a very rare treat. You also experience in the film something Schlöndorff confirms in interviews: it is hard to imagine this film existing without David Bennent. His voice and eyes carry so much of this film. The short interview feature with Bennent is delightful. I thought the bonus feature on the Oklahoma censorship was interesting and somewhat balanced in that it portrayed the zealousness on both sides. However, I would have preferred to see more of Grass or material on the creative efforts of the film. On a more serious note, I find Oskar's indictment of society very compelling. Something about the way the film brings themes to life (more than the book) makes 1939 Germany frightenly parallel to the US of 2004. In Oskar's world, the people in power make false claims in order to invade other countries, human rights abuses increase and all objections are shouted away with "patriotic" speeches and political rallys. For the most part people remain ignorant or apathetic to the suffering their government officials are causing. (Perhaps we need a few Oskars drumming at the democratic and republican conventions this summer.) The film stands very well on its own but I would encourage people to read the book first. The book is more complex, covers more years of Oskar's life and it develops some important ideas that are not at first obvious in the film. For example, as Oskar ages he still looks 3 years old and he consciously exploits this by manipulating the adults around him by behaving more childish than he really is. There is also an interesting theme in the book related to Rasputin and Goethe. It is also worthwhile to do a little browsing on the web for historical material related to Gdansk/Danzig, Kashubia and the large population resettlements after wars in this area. The excellent bonus features also explore the themes of the film and add a lot of value.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I saw this movie back in 1983. I was only 9 years old but the movie to this day left an indelible impression on me. It was sad, yet humorous. Some parts make you go a little bug-eyed but that's all part of the surrealism of this movie. The young actor who played Oskar was amazing. Obviously you could tell he was just a child but I could actually see him as an adult as the movie goes on. I'm not in the habit of seeing foreign language films. In fact, I can honestly say that I've seen only a handful of them. This was my first German language film and I can safely say it was my favorite. Buy this video. You will not regret it. Its that amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: When do we get the Tin Drum part 2 ?
Review: I was attracted to this film (DVD version) having read the book. Inevitable the movie cannot accurately portray every aspect of the book and particularly this book with it's masses of minor detail and it's continuous stream of consciousness.
It does have it's moments though and the movie is as true to the book as a movie can be. Thankfully, unlike Hollywood the German moviemakers don't add syrrupy touches or a happy ending. I particularly liked the scene where Oscar's drumming hilariously disrupts the Nazi party rally. The scene begins with a miniature Nuremberg rally and culminates with the assembled storm troopers waltzing the blue Danube !
My only criticism of the overall thrust of the movie is that the rise of the Nazis and their early persecutions against the Jews are portrayed rather mildly. There is hardly any tension or any feeling of menace. Was this the intention given that the narrators and principal characters were all Germans (alongwith the moviemakers themselves) ?
My major disappointment was with the ending. We are left with a short narrative bemoaning the fate of the Kasubians "too German for the Poles, not German enough for the Germans", and then nothing. For a non-German audience details like this need some explanation. The Kasubians spoke a German dialect and were the descendents of early German settlers and Germanised Poles. In 1939 there were app 250,000 Kasubian speakers in the Danzig / East Prussia region. Grass mentions the "changing of names" by neighbours in Dog Years (no 3 in the Danzig trilogy). These people were literally making themselves become more German in the certain expectation of a Nazi victory. After the defeat the Germans of Danzig alongwith the Kasubians were forced westwards to make room for Polish newcomers.
We do not see any of Oscars's post war adventures, for me this was the best part of the book. A Tin Drum sequel is required (and at least another two and a half hours !).
Rating: 
Summary: The Worst Movie Ever Made
Review: I was made to watch this movie for school, and I was like "Oh, a foreign movie, I like those, they're usually different and refreshing, this could be good." Was I ever wrong!! I can honestly say I have no idea what this movie was about. It seemed to be just scene after scene in which none of the scenes seemed to fit in with the others. World War II seemed to play a part in it, but I don't know why. Just a background for all the child sex scenes to take place in I guess. There was not one likable character, I cringed when each one walked on screen, especially that psychotic kid/adult. So basically, this movie had nothing worthwhile in it, not one good scene, not one thought-provoking plot idea, nothing. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Filmed in Pretentio-Rama
Review: I will admit this film has made an indelible mark on me, something like slamming your hand in a car door. I saw this
movie over twenty years ago, on the fledgling HBO. Fortunately
they were also showing "Superman" that month, so I didn't cancel my subscription. (They did show "Luna" with Jill Clayburgh the next month, so clearly HBO had to work out some kinks.) To its credit, "The Tin Drum: The Movie" served as an excellent prophylactic from the book. The central character is a detestable, obnoxious little punk who
stops growing as a "protest" against the Nazis...I think. His adulterous, guilt-ridden mother overdoses on eels (that's right, eels), he impregnates his nanny, he beats on the back of his father while he dallies with the nanny, and loads of other pretentious, angst-ridden, obtuse moments. It also features that toe-tapping hit from thirties Deutschland, "Strength Through Joy". One is found caring not a whit for any of the characters; one actually hopes the Reds dispatch them all in the final scene, saving a particularly painful end for the little darling. Guenter Grass, heartthrob of the eighties anti-NATO, pro-Soviet Left, is the author of this atrocity. If the Golden Turkey Awards had a category for foreign film, this would be its shining star.
Rating:
Summary: A Totally Recommended Piece Of Work
Review: I've watched the Tin Drum several times, and have learned new things with each viewing. I own the VHS and the DVD version. The DVD is superior because it offers a behind the scenes feature, and also a Director's Commentary from Director Volker Schlondorff which is very good. The story deals with a little boy named Oskar who decides on his third birthday after receiving a tin drum, to stop physically growing. There's much more to the plot, but that's just the gist of it. Fine acting by the entire cast also. A movie that should be seen.
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