The Tin Drum

The Tin Drum Die Blechtrommel Movie Poster Country France Poland West Germany Directed by Volker Schlöndorff Release Date May 3, 1979 Language German Hebrew Italian Russian Polish Studio Franz Seitz Filmproduktion Artemis Film Jadran Film Main Cast Character Actor Oskar Matzerath David Bennent Alfred Matzerath Mario Adorf Agnes Matzerath Angela Winkler Jan Bronski Daniel Olbrychski Maria Matzerath Katharina Thalbach Sigismund Markus Charles Aznavour

The Tin Drum is the 1979 film adaptation of the novel by Günter Grass by Volker Schlöndorff. On his third birthday, Oskar Matzerath, born in the Free City of Danzig (Gdansk) in 1924, refused to allow further growth and participation in the adult world. The eternal child expresses his protest against Nazis and sympathizers on his tin drum, and only after the war ends does Oskar decide to grow again - and to have a say.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980 at the 52nd Academy Awards.

The following weapons were used in the film The Tin Drum:

Pistols

Luger P08

A German officer is very briefly seen with a Luger P08 during the surrender of the Polish defenders.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm Parabellum

The Luger is seen right above the shot Jan Michoń who came out of the building shortly before with a white flag.

The soldier brandishes his Luger.

Rifles

Mannlicher M95M

Jan Bronski (Daniel Olbrychski), Kobyella (Mieczyslaw Czechowicz), and other Polish defenders of the Post Office in Danzig can be seen using Mannlicher M95M short rifles. These rifles are the Yugoslavian conversion of the Austro-Hungarian M1895.

Mannlicher M95M (M95/24) - 7.92x57mm Mauser

"Proszę, karabin."
Jan Michoń hands over a Mannlicher to Jan.

After receiving the rifle and a helmet Jan walks to the ammunition distribution.

Another view of Jan's rifle shows the magazine which lacks the ejection hole. This a feature of the Yugoslavian M95M which uses stripper clips instead of en-bloc clips.

The tangent-leaf rear sight is visible as he waits for further instructions.

Kobyella works the bolt handle of his Mannlicher.

Lowering the rifle offers a view of the left side.

Mannlicher M1895 Stutzen

At least one of the defenders wields a Mannlicher M95 Karabiner-Stutzen which is most likely a converted 8x56mmR Steyr version.

Karabiner-Stutzen M1895, System Mannlicher - 8x50mmR Mannlicher

The armed man carries the Karabiner-Stutzen. Note the smooth barrel at the front sight without a ring.

Another view shows the ejection hole. It is equipped with side- and under-mounted sling swivels.

The straight bolt handle is seen.

Steyr Mannlicher M1895/30

Some Polish defenders are armed with Austrian full-length Steyr Mannlicher M1895 rifles and carbines. SS Heimwehr Danzig and Sturmabteilung (SA) members can also seen with this rifle during the surrender of the Polish defenders.

Steyr Infanteriegewehr Modell 1895/30 - 8x56mmR Steyr

Karabiner-Stutzen M1895/30, System Mannlicher - 8x56mmR Steyr

Oskar (David Bennent) examines an 8x56mmR Steyr round. The en-bloc clips lie in the foreground.

Three Steyr Mannlicher long rifles stacked together.

A defender watis with his long rifle which offers a view of the receiver, straight pull handle, and rear sight.

The German soldier on the right aims his Steyr short rifle at the lined up prisoners.

Karabiner 98k

The Karabiner 98k is used by German soldiers.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Heimwehr member with his carabiner over his back chases Jan. This Karabiner has a late war welded barrel band.

A soldier chambers his Karabiner while charging.

Another soldier forces the defenders out of the Post office with his Kar98k.

A soldiers and a Heimwehr member hold their carbines on the right.

A Kar98k is carried by an armed Polish civilian guarding the deportation of German citizens from Danzig in 1945.

Mauser Rifle

An unknown Mauser rifle is briefly seen held by a Hitlerjugend boy.

The rifle is seen on the right. It has a straight bolt handle.

Submachine Guns

PPSh-41

Soviet Soldiers at the end are armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns.

PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

"Hände hoch!"
A Soviet soldier with his PPSh opens the cellar door.

A Polish soldier stands guard with his slung PPSh.

KP m/44

Some Finnish Tikkakoski m/44s, copy of the PPS-43, with drum magazines are also used by Red Army soldiers.

Tikkakoski M/44 - 9x19mm Parabellum. The M/44 magazines are interchangeable with the Suomi KP/-31 box and drum magazines.

Soviet soldiers carrying KP m/44s enter the cellar.

A Russian kneels in front of Maria and Kurt. The pistol grip is seen.

The same soldier points his gun at Alfred Matzerath (Mario Adorf).

Machine Guns

MG42

The MG42 is first seen during the beginning of World War Two in 1939 and later on bunkers of the Atlantikwall.

Maschinengewehr 42 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

An SS soldier fires his MG42 at the Post office in 1939.

Another MG42 being fired from a Bunker.

Browning M1919A6

Three Browning M1919A6 are seen during the Atlantikwall scenes.

Late Browning M1919A6 with muzzle booster - .30-06 Springfield

A mounted Browning on the Opel Blitz truck.

Two other Brownings seen in a bunker next to Obergefreiter Lankes (Bruno Thost).

Other

Armored Car

During the post office siege, American White M3 Scout Cars were mocked up to resemble Austrian Steyr ADGZs which were actually used by the German attackers.

10.5-cm-leichte Feldhaubitze 18/40

A 10.5 cm leichte FeldHaubitze 18/40 standing in for the historically correct predecessor is deployed by the attackers of the Post Office.

Leichte Feldhaubitze 18/40 - 105mm

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

One of the SS soldiers uses a Model 24 Stielhandgranate.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

Two views of the soldier on the left preparing his Stielhandgranate.

Flamethrower

Two German soldiers can be seen with unknown flamethrowers.

15 cm TbtsK C/36 naval gun

The 15 cm TbtsK C/36 is seen mounted in a bunker.

15 cm TbtsK C/36 naval gun in a Regelbau M272 casemate at the Longues-sur-Mer battery, France.