"The Tin Drum" Criterion Region 1 vs. Kinowelt PAL vs.Kino NTSC vs Dreamix NTSC

(aka "The Tin Drum")

directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Germany 1979

Danzig, Germany, 1924. Oskar Matzerath is born with an intellect beyond his infancy. As he witnesses the hypocrisy of adulthood and the irresponsibility of society, Oskar rejects both, and, at his third birthday, refuses to grow older. Caught in a baffling state of perpetual childhood, Oskar lashes out at all he surveys with piercing screams and frantic poundings on his tin drum, while the unheeding, chaotic world marches onward to the madness and folly of World War II. Honored with the Palme d’Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival and the 1979 Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language film, Volker Schlöndorff’s The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel) is a truly visionary adaptation of Nobel laureate Günter Grass’ acclaimed novel, an unforgettable fantasia of surreal imagery, striking eroticism, and unflinching satire.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 3rd, 1979 - West Germany

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion - Region 1- NTSC vs. Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL vs. Kino - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Dreamix (S. Korean) 'Tin Box' - Region 3 - NTSC

We Recommend:

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro , Ole of DVDBasen andPavel Borodin for the screen captures!

(Criterion - Region 1- NTSC LEFT vs. Kinowelt - Region 2 - PAL - 2nd vs Kino - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Dreamix (S. Korean) - Region 3 - NTSC - RIGHT)

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Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 234 - Region 0 - NTSC	Kinowelt (Germany) Region 2 - PAL	Kino Region 0 - NTSC	Dreamix (South Korea) Region 3 - NTSC
Runtime	2:21:35	2:15:44 (4% PAL speedup)	2:21:18	2:21:27 (NTSC)
Video	1.70:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.5 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.21 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.61:1 Slightly Cropped Average Bitrate: 6.10 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.30 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Criterion
Bitrate: Kinowelt
Bitrate: Kino
Bitrate: Dreamix
Audio	German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) , German (Dolby Digital 5.1)	German (Dolby Digital 5.1)	German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), director Volker Schlondorff English (Dolby Digital 1.0)	German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) director Volker Schlondorff English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles	English, None	German, none	Yellow - Non-removable English	English, Korean and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection / Home Vision Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.70:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical trailer • Audio commentary by director and cowriter Volker Schlondorff • Isolated music track, featuring the score by Academy Award-winning composer Maurice Jarre • Rare deleted scenes • Volker Schlondorff Remembers The Tin Drum, a 21-minute audio/video montage • An illuminating collection of video interviews, including Schlondorff • "The Platform", a rare 1987 German recording of Grass reading an excerpt from his novel The Tin Drum • Reprinted excerpt of the screenplay's original, unfilmed ending • Banned in Oklahoma, a documentary by Gary D. Rhodes following the child pornography lawsuit revolving around The Tin Drum • Production sketches, designs, and promotional art • Widescreen anamorphic format • Number of discs: 2 DVD Release Date: May 18th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 23	Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt (Germany) Theatrical Release Date: April 11, 1980 Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen letterbox - 1.66:1 Edition Details: • Trailer • Commentary by Volker Schloendorff (alternate from Criterions) • Documentary (see below comments) DVD Release Date: November 20th, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: April 11, 1980 Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterbox - 1.61:1 Edition Details: • Commentary with Volker Schlöndorff (In English). • Color, Digital Video Transfer, Widescreen • Isolated musical score • Supplemental video section containing behind-the-scenes photos, storyboards and more (16:00) • Widescreen letterbox format DVD Release Date: August 13, 1999 Snap Case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Dreamix Theatrical Release Date: April 11, 1980 Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen letterbox - 1.66:1 Edition Details: Commentary with Volker Schlöndorff (In English). Trailer - Non-anamorphic (3:29). About the book (In Korean). Cast and Crew (In Korean). Storyboard contra movie (2:06). DVD Release Date: April 1, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 18

Comments:

ADDITION (Criterion - July -04) - We can throw out the Kino and the Dreamix editions as they are below par. The Kinowelt and the Criterion match up very closely in color. I notice the Region 2 having slightly redder skin tones - almost a brownish/sepia hue tint over the entire film. perhaps it was meant to look this way - I don't know. If anything I suspect Criterion's superior contrast gives it the impression of being sharper, but I know the differences are negligible. In regards to cropping I see Criterion has a little off the bottom and the Kinowelt even less off the left edge. The Kinowelt has no English subtitles so the decision becomes easier for most. Kinowelt has a 5.1 audio track (in German) and Criterion includes a 5. as an option with the original mono track. Criterions extras are the best of the lot. We say take Criterion to the bank! ( or rather 'go to the bank first and then get Criterion' ;) ).

RE: The Kinowelt Documentary (From Frank Meyer... Thanks Frank)

The documentary is the same as the Audio/Video Montage "Volker Schlöndorff remembers the Tin Drum" which is on the Criterion, but it is spoken in German by Schlöndorff. The commentary by Schlöndorff is not identical, because it is spoken also in german (especially produced for the German DVD by Jörg Bauer). There are no subtitles for the commentary.

******

The anamorphic Kinowelt really blows away the other two when it comes to the image quality sharpness, color and contrast. The Dreamix may be sharper than the Kino and anamorphic but appears to have other issues. The 'Out of Print' Kino NTSC version has burned in yellow sub-titles which is a strong negative. The Dreamix shows some contrast boosting and edge enhancement (see beach scene below). The Kino has been slightly vertically cropped and appears to have been zoomed in to make up for it. All three have the Director Schlöndorff commentary. The Kinowelt has 5.1 audio which is nice, but no option for the original sound mix. It also has no English subs. As this film is not a favorite of mine, my suggestion would be to wait till a better edition comes out with English subtitles if you require them. the whole Dreamix "Tin Box" thing seems like a bit of scam now. - Gary W. Tooze

DVD Menus

(Criterion - Region 1- NTSC TOP LEFT ROW vs. Kinowelt - Region 2 - PAL - TOP RIGHT ROW)

(Kino - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM LEFT ROW vs. Dreamix (S. Korean) - Region 3 - NTSC - BOTTOM RIGHT ROW)