Perfume: The Story of A Murderer

“Perfume: The Story of A Murderer” is a fresh, original, and thrilling movie for me. It is based on the novel “Perfume” by Patrick Süskind which was adopted into film in 2006 under German production. It features celebrities like Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, and many others.

Set in 18th Century France, the movie tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a deaf genius and a notorious murderer who kills women to create the perfect scent. His quest is really intriguing. He started experimenting animals and various objects but failed in capturing their beautiful smell. He later used humans and was finally successful when he employed cold enfleurage on a prostitute. In this method, he covered the naked body with animal fat and afterwards scraped them. He purified the fat to capture the smell. So he went to a killing spree until he acquired the thirteen smells. By that time, we was already hunted and later captured. On the day of his execution, he applied a drop of perfume over himself. The crowd was mesmerized that they declared him innocent and they fell into a massive orgy. Grenouille escaped. In the final scene, he was in a fish market and dumps the whole perfume on his head. Overcame by the scent, the nearby crowd adored and devoured him.

The movie has a dark atmosphere from beginning to end. But it was necessary and effective as the film has a dark theme. Some scenes are somewhat revolting, especially at the beginning when a mother gave birth on a dreary fish market. The protagonist’s chase for the thirteenth scent is the fun and thrill part, though the death of the girl makes one hate him. The ending was satisfying as justice was served in a different way.

The movie has a high budget for a German production, yet it sold tremendously as well. It has mixed reviews, but mostly negative. It only has an approval rating of 44% at Rotten Tomatoes’ Cream of the Crop (notable critics) and 56 out of 100 at Metacritics. Despite that, the movie is praised for its superb cinematography, great acting and material.

Still a beautiful and unforgettable movie for me.


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