Year: 1979
Director: Volker Schlondorff
Country: West Germany
Language: German
Volker Schlondorff is part of an elite group of filmmakers, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Veronika Voss) and Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas), who make up a German film period known as New German Cinema. This unique period began in the late 60's and ended with the death of Fassbinder in 1982. It was strongly influenced by the French New Wave, these Directors would use low budgets as well. Among the most influential of the New German Cinema films is The Tin Drum
The film revolves around Oskar Matzerath, son of a local dealer, who is a most unusual boy. Equipped with full intellect right from his birth he decides at his third birthday not to grow up as he sees the crazy world around him at the eve of World War II. So he refuses the society and his tin drum symbolizes his protest against the middle-class mentality of his family and neighborhood, which stand for all passive people in Nazi Germany at that time.
Winner of the 1979 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, The Tin Drum is likely one of the strangest films I have ever seen. Though this "strange" is particularly good, almost expressionistic. German expressionism was a great German film style in the 1920's, often depicting madness and insanity, however the movement ended when Hitler came to power and declared it "degenerate art". So making an anti-nazi film in a way that is reminiscent of expressionism is a testament of Schlndorff's passion for art.
While the "never grow up" aspect may remind you of Peter Pan, Oskar is anything but the boy in green tights. Oskar can scream with such a high pitch that he can shatter any piece of glass. He even controls his scream to the point where he can break windows on the other side of the city, or etch writing into glass. Oskar uses his ability to manipulate and control the adult world, often to comment on the world around him. Perhaps Oskar is a German fantasy, a brave child who resembles what most Germans wish they could have been; a loud voice screaming against fascist madness.
In conclusion, The Tin Drum is a shocking yet powerful film. In one controversial scene Oskar boldly slaps a statue of Christ and accuses him of not helping. Indeed many religious people have asked a similar question, "where was God in Germany?". There are a lot of metaphors in this film, and a lot of life lessons to be learned. It is truly a unique film that will be on my mind for years to come. Praise it! 5/5
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