Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
AKA: –
Directed by: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Ben Whishaw (Jean-Baptiste Grenouille), Dustin Hoffman (Giuseppe Baldini), Alan Rickman (Antoine Richis), Rachel Hurd-Wood (Laure Richis), Karoline Herfurth (girl selling plums), David Calder (Bishop), Corinna Harfouch (Madame Arnulfi), Paul Berrondo (Druot)
Country: Germany; Effed Up European Films
Language: English (Optional Eng Subs)
Runtime: 02:27:29
Genres: Serial Killer, Violence against Women, Misc Paraphilias, Religious Angle, Violence Against Animals
Plot – Spoilers:
In 18th century France, a fish-seller delivers her baby in the middle of a market and then abandons it, assuming it to be stillborn. The child, raised in an orphanage and later sold to a tannery, grows up as Grenouille, a quiet young man who unnerves people around him for apparently lacking any sign of normalcy. Grenouille later however realizes that this has more to do with his body offering no scent. Which is shocking to him, because he has spent all his life exploring his own unique genius – the ability to detect scents imperceptible to others and to revel in smells, like others would in visual or musical wonders.
Grenouille’s mastery over smell makes him in a way, an all-seeing superhuman because he can slip in and out of anywhere, smelling the presence of trouble and humans from far away. But then one day he smells a virginal fruit seller and can never forget the feeling. And this obsession makes him determined to find a way to preserve the smell of women, so it can be savored and enjoyed as and when desired. Like a perfume, a digital video or a song file.
Early in, director Tom Tykwer’s triumph in attempting a movie like this emerges, when during the fish market scene you can almost smell the stench off the screen.
Random Trivia:
The book from which the movie was made, was itself loosely based on the Spanish serial killer, Manuel Blanco Romasanta, who made soap from some of his victims.
Wow, what a movie! I’m a huge fan of Suskind, and given how smell-focused his novel (that this is based on) is, I assumed a film of it would always inevitably fail to get across the sensations that are so central to the protagonist. I have no idea how Twyker did it, but the smell gets across to an overpowering level – if you’re curious, and you don’t want to see the whole film, skip to 3:10, it’s unbelievable. I personally thought no film would ever top Hard to be a God in terms of the gut-level kneejerk nausea that it inspired, but this may have outdone it.
Anyway, I would say I somewhat recommend this film. It runs into the same issues as Mary Harron’s (excellent) adaptation of American Psycho, in terms of adapting a monologue-heavy character study into a convential filmic narrative, so it can sometimes be a bit hard to follow the emotions or logic of the protagonist, but the core beats of the story get across reasonably well. I would say overall it’s not a spectacularly good movie, and as other commenters have said, it often props up the ropey parts with generic softcore pornography, but it’s worth watching if you’re as into Sade or Ben Wishaw (lol), as me.
Good grief, what a good movie.
Conceptually a minor masterpiece. Delivery is a minor disappointment. Still worth watching if you don’t mind corn filling the holes in the plot.
This is a film for our senses. Both our eyes and ears get a full dose. “Perfume” is extremely well done visually.
What one wishes is that it could also be experienced by our noses. There are scenes (especially at the beginning of the film) where it would be very interesting to experience the smells/odors…
As a film, it is a bit difficult to judge. Everything feels well done – the acting, the scenery, the story, etc. But, in my opinion, it has a strange dramaturgy. What at first appears to be an interesting drama suddenly turns into a less interesting serial killer story. And the last third could have been shortened considerably.
I thought, initially, that I would give a very good rating, but it didn’t really hold up all the way, so it will be 6/10 instead.
Impressive production with a content that did not quite live up to expectations.
Does any cunt here actually have a review, good, bad or indifferent anymore? Or is it just non stop Steve-esque faggotry?
For fucks sake can someone just say if its ok or its shit or maybe give a hint if its worth watching….please?
this movie stunk