The Tin Drum Poster
MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 2,055 this week

The Tin Drum (1979)
Die Blechtrommel (original title)

R  142 min  -  Drama | War   -  11 April 1980 (USA)
7.6
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.6/10 from 10,418 users  
Reviews: 69 user | 52 critic

Danzig in the 1920s/1930s. Oskar Matzerath, son of a local dealer, is a most unusual boy. Equipped with... See full summary »

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière, Günter Grass (additional dialogue), and 3 more credits »
 Loading Watchlist 

Watch it

Buy it from Amazon »
Oscar Nominations    Photos    more »

Related Lists

image of title
a list of 2,170 titles by Dr-Faustus created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 1,000 titles by PeacefulAnarchy created 3 weeks ago
 
image of title
a list of 267 titles by rock_is_love created 10 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 34 titles by kopfmatscher created 9 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 1,088 titles by flobbergobber created 1 week ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Download the free IMDb App
Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 1 nomination See more awards »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mario Adorf Mario Adorf ...
Alfred Matzerath
Angela Winkler Angela Winkler ...
Agnes Matzerath
David Bennent David Bennent ...
Oskar Matzerath
Katharina Thalbach Katharina Thalbach ...
Maria Matzerath
Daniel Olbrychski Daniel Olbrychski ...
Jan Bronski
Tina Engel Tina Engel ...
Anna Koljaiczek (jung)
Berta Drews Berta Drews ...
Anna Koljaiczek
Roland Teubner Roland Teubner ...
Joseph Koljaiczek
Tadeusz Kunikowski Tadeusz Kunikowski ...
Onkel Vinzenz
Andréa Ferréol Andréa Ferréol ...
Lina Greff (as Andréa Ferreol)
Heinz Bennent Heinz Bennent ...
Greff
Ilse Pagé Ilse Pagé ...
Gretchen Scheffler
Werner Rehm Werner Rehm ...
Scheffler
Käte Jaenicke Käte Jaenicke ...
Mutter Truczinski
Helmut Brasch Helmut Brasch ...
Der Alte Heilandt (as Helmuth Brasch)
Edit

Storyline

Danzig in the 1920s/1930s. Oskar Matzerath, son of a local dealer, 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. However, (almost) nobody listens to him, so the catastrophe goes on... Written by Anonymous  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Danzig | Boy | Nazi | Birthday | Drum  | See more »

Taglines:

Academy Award Winner Best Foreign Language Film 1979 See more »

Genres:

Drama | War

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

West Germany | France | Poland | Yugoslavia

Language:

Hebrew | Italian | German | Polish | Russian

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

El tambor de hojalata See more »

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 3,963,773 (Sweden)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | Germany: (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Black and White  | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Also banned in parts of Canada for its depiction of underage sexuality. See more »

Goofs

Anachronisms: When Oskar and Maria are at the beach, a modern day cargo ship is clearly visible in the background, although this movie is set around 1937. See more »

Quotes

Agnes Matzerath: Don't expect me to touch your eels.
Alfred Matzerath: Don't put on airs.
Agnes Matzerath: I'll never eat fish again. Certainly not eels.
Alfred Matzerath: You've always eaten them, and you knew where they came from!
See more »