‘The key to understanding The Tin Drum lies in understanding the mind of its
remarkable first-person narrator, Oskar Matzerath, that brilliantly conceived fictional
eyewitness and personification of the Third Reich, its prehistory, and its aftermath.’1
This quote stresses the importance of the narrator in Günter Grass’ novel. In this essay, I
should like to compare the narrative structure in the novel with the film adaptation. As my aim
is to find out how the film version works, I would like to put forward the proposition that not
only the understanding of the narrator’s mind is crucial for the understanding of the novel, but
also the understanding of the narrative structure itself within Die Blechtrommel. Therefore, I
will have a closer look at the novel first and then proceeding to the film, in order to examine
the changes Volker Schlöndorff made and what effect they may have on the understanding of
the film.
Hans Magnus Enzensberger, a famous German poet and critic, described Günter Grass’ novel
as a
‘Brocken, an dem Rezensenten und Philologen mindestens ein Jahrzehnt lang zu würgen
haben, bis es [sic] reif zur Kanonisierung oder zur Aufbewahrung im Schauhaus der
Literaturgeschichte ist.’2
This prophecy of 1959 came true and it was not until twenty years later that Volker
Schlöndorff tried the first film adaptation of this complex work of literature. Nevertheless, the
novel was a tremendous success, not only in post-war Germany. In the following paragraph, I
will start with an explanation of the elements, which make the novel’s narrative structure so
complicated and multilayered.
1 Keele, Alan Frank. Understanding Günter Grass, page 11
2 Richter, Frank. Die zerschlagene Wirklichkeit. Überlegungen zur Form der Danzig-Triologie von Günter
Grass, page 7
Table of Contents
Introduction
Narrative structure in the novel Die Blechtrommel
Framework story
Narrative perspective
Reliable or unreliable narrator?
First and third person narration
Schlöndorff’s approach in his film version
Necessary changes
What is left of the narrative structure of the novel?
Additional changes and criticism
d) Cinematic devices or why the film works on its own
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This essay aims to analyze the differences in narrative structure between Günter Grass's novel "Die Blechtrommel" and Volker Schlöndorff's 1979 film adaptation. The primary objective is to determine how the film functions as an independent work of art despite the drastic reduction of the novel’s complex, multilayered narrative framework.
- Analysis of the novel's unreliable narrator and framework story.
- Examination of the transition from linguistic to visual storytelling.
- Critique of narrative changes and the omission of the post-war plot.
- Evaluation of cinematic devices, including sound and camera techniques.
Excerpt from the Book
Narrative perspective
Another remarkable feature of the novel is the unusual point-of-view of Oskar’s narration. As he had decided to stop growing at the age of three, he remains an outsider throughout the novel and, thus, is able to recall events from this childish perspective. He reports his experiences in the past out of his ‘weißlackiertes metallenes Anstaltsbett’ (page 9) and tells the reader how he saw the world as a permanent three-year-old. This eccentric point-of-view allows Oskar to perceive insights in the mechanism of the adult’s world, which normally remain secrets. A typical and striking example for this perspective is the scene where Oskar hides under the table while the adults are playing cards:
‘Ich fühlte mich wohl unter der Tischplatte, im Windschatten des herabhängenden Tischtuches.’ (page 82)
In this position, he is able to observe what his supposed father Jan is doing with his foot between the legs of his mother while they are playing skat. Through this ‘Froschperspektive’ in which we find Oskar again and again throughout the novel, he is able to reveal human affairs and the history of a whole epoch alike. Other examples for favourite hiding places are cupboards and the skirts of his grandmother. Even when he is in Paris, standing under the Eiffel Tower reminds him of his grandmother’s skirts (page 434). However, these impressions conveyed by the eyes of a self-declared ‘zurückgebliebenen Dreijährigen’ (page 165) also result in a totally unbiased description of events. It is crucial that Oskar just sees or observes what is going on around him - ‘there is no suggestion of his judging or criticising events or people.’ The consequence of this exceptional narrative point-of-view, however, is that is leaves the reader without orientation in the first place, but also might be able to force him into a personal judgement of events.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter establishes the scope of the essay, highlighting the importance of the narrator in Grass's novel and the challenges of adapting such complex literature for the screen.
Narrative structure in the novel Die Blechtrommel: This section explores the technical complexities of the novel, focusing on the mental asylum framework, the unreliable narrator, and the interplay between first- and third-person perspectives.
Schlöndorff’s approach in his film version: The chapter examines the collaborative process between Grass and the director to condense the novel, focusing on necessary structural changes and the preservation of specific visual perspectives.
4. Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the film is a successful independent work that conveys the essence of the novel despite the inevitable loss of linguistic irony.
5. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources used for the analysis.
Keywords
Die Blechtrommel, Günter Grass, Volker Schlöndorff, Narrative structure, Film adaptation, Unreliable narrator, Oskar Matzerath, Froschperspektive, Cinematic devices, Post-war literature, David Bennent, Third Reich, Symbolism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on comparing the narrative structure of the novel "Die Blechtrommel" with Volker Schlöndorff's 1979 film adaptation to understand how the film maintains the essence of the original story.
Which specific themes are addressed in the analysis?
Key themes include the reliability of the narrator, the framework story, the use of point-of-view, the impact of cinematic devices, and the transformation of political and historical contexts.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine how the film functions as an independent artistic medium while evaluating the impact of the drastic narrative changes made by the director.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The methodology involves a comparative literary and film analysis, examining text-based narrative structures alongside cinematic techniques like camera angles and sound design.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the analysis of the novel's framework and narrative perspective, followed by a critique of the film's structural adaptations, its cinematic techniques, and the reception of the film's artistic choices.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as narrative structure, unreliable narrator, film adaptation, Die Blechtrommel, and cinematic devices.
How does the film adaptation preserve the novel's 'Froschperspektive'?
The film preserves this through the use of consistent low-angle camera shots that mimic Oskar’s childlike point-of-view whenever he is the center of the scene.
Why was the film adaptation criticized regarding the bed scene?
The film was criticized for including an explicit bed scene between Agnes and Jan that did not exist in the novel, as it violated the internal narrative logic established by the film itself.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Evelyn Naudorf (Autor:in), 2001, How does the film adaptation of Volker Schlöndorff's "Die Blechtrommel" work?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/13453
