Volker Schlöndorff's ambitious and surprisingly accurate screen adaptation of Günter Grass' brilliant, surreal fable of Germany under the influence of the Third Reich has been given a superb translation to DVD in this special edition from The Criterion Collection. Die Blechtrommel (aka The Tin Drum) has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1, and has been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The transfer looks superb, with the colors rich and well rendered and the images clear and well detailed (better, in fact, than this writer recalls it looking in theaters on its initial release). In addition to the film's original single-channel audio mix, mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, this edition also includes a new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix that opens up enough detail in the film's soundtrack that it gets a different set of subtitles (both mixes are in the original German, with optional English subtitles), and Maurice Jarre's score is isolated on a third audio track. Director Schlöndorff contributes a commentary track that offers plenty of background on the making of the film, his philosophies about adapting literature to the screen and working with children, and how the film differs from Grass' novel, and his remarks confirm his obvious affection for this project. Disc two of the set features a short selection of silent outtakes from Die Blechtrommel (narrated by Schlöndorff), a short documentary on the genesis of the film, interviews with Schlöndorff and leading man David Bennent from French television, and a reading of a portion of the original novel by author Grass, accompanied by the corresponding sequence from the movie. Also included is Banned in Oklahoma, a documentary on how the film became the center of a legal imbroglio after it was declared "child pornography" on Oklahoma City, OK; pages from the screenplay which feature the film's original intended ending, which followed the protagonist Oscar into the 1950s; a collection of production sketches and promotional artwork; and the original German trailer. In short, this is a splendid presentation of a film that has worn well with time, and Criterion is to be congratulated for their continued attention to the details that separate a good DVD from a great DVD.