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Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was born in a dirty, stinking marketplace to a woman who deserted him the minute he started screaming. Brought up in an orphanage, he appeared to be no different to other children, apart from the fact that he had a superb sense of smell. He had no idea just how important that gift would be until he is let loose in Paris one day and finds his ideal smell - that of a young peasant girl selling apricots. He accidentally kills her when she realises that he is following her around, drawing in the scent of her.
Then Grenouille is taken on by one of the city's master perfumiers, Giuseppe Baldini, who teaches him how to make scent - although Grenouille has a knack that even Baldini cannot teach him. But this is not enough for Grenouille; he wants to learn how to preserve his favourite perfume - that of young women's skins. He decides to move to Grasse, a small town that specialises in the preservation of scents, where he learns the tools of his trade. Then a number of young women begin to go missing, only to be found dead some time later. Is Grenouille able to make the ultimate scent and at what price?
I've long wanted to see this film, partly because of the subtitle, The Story of a Murderer, and partly because I found the idea of a film that is so reliant on smell (or olfactory senses as all the introductions to the film describe it!) fascinating. I was not disappointed. This is a very long film
at well over two hours, but I was gripped right from beginning to the end.
Grenouille is played by Ben Whishaw, a British actor formerly unknown to me, although he has had a number of acting roles, including one in Layer Cake. Grenouille is not an attractive man and as such, Whishaw fits the bill perfectly. I was extremely impressed with his acting - he spends much of the film smelling things and looking like he is in seventh heaven - this sounds odd, but he manages to pull it off perfectly, without it seeming in the slightest bit unnatural. Grenouille rarely speaks, yet I was totally absorbed by his character and this desire to create the perfect scent. When he does speak, it is in a very British accent, which does seem a little odd, but then all of the characters are presumably French and yet speak with a British accent, so this was obviously a decision that the director made. This is a superb performance and I look forward to seeing more of this young man - I think the fact that I almost liked him despite his unsavoury habits is indicative of his skill at winning over the audience.
Dustin Hoffman is just about recognisable as Baldini. Although his role in the film is much shorter than that of Whishaw's, Hoffman does a superb job, as always, as a proud man who becomes dependent on Grenouille's talent. He does become concerned by Grenouille's apparent obsession to preserve the scent of everything, including his own dead cat, but is prepared to put up with this for the money that Grenouille makes him.
Another superb actor, Alan Rickman, plays Antoine Richis, a rich nobleman in the town of Grasse, who is particularly concerned about the deaths of so many young women because he has a daughter who is the apple of his eye. The performance Rickman gives is strong - his love for his daughter and his grief at her death are palpable. The only problem is that he does have a very distinctive voice, which he makes no attempt to hide in this film. I found this rather off-putting - it was hard to believe he was French when he sounds the same as he does in other roles when he is supposed to be British. However, this was just a minor criticism in what was overall a fantastic performance.
The film is narrated at times by John Hurt. Unlike Alan Rickman, I didn't recognise his voice, so wasn't put off too much by his Englishness. The narration gave the film an almost surreal feeling - it was very soothing and really drew me in to the film, whilst being aware that I was being told a story at the same time.
The film is directed by Tom Tykwer, a German director, probably best known for the German film Run, Lola, Run. Bearing in mind that he had the hard task of translating a book about perfume (not an easy thing to represent at the best of times) into a film about perfume, I think he did a superb job. The film is long, but it is so full of colour and beautiful cinematography that I found it totally absorbing all the way through. Two of the girls that Grenouille are interested in have beautiful red hair and clear skin and the camera frequently picks out their best features, which is oddly compelling. Another part of the film which is well produced is the beginning, when Grenouille is born to a woman who guts fish for a living and is covered from head to toe in fish slime when she gives birth. This really provoked a strong feeling that I could smell all the dirt and grime on her body, something that is not easy to do in a film.
The only minor criticism that I have is that the ending is a bit twee and ridiculous. I don't know if the ending was adapted directly from the book or if Tykwer decided to use a bit of artistic licence - whatever, I thought it detracted from what was otherwise an excellent film. Fortunately, this did not totally ruin my enjoyment of the film.
I have read other reviews that say that much of the book was left out of the film presumably because of time restraints. I have not read the book (by Patrick Suskind) and so cannot comment on the similarities and differences, but suffice it to say that I now have a strong desire to read the book on the basis of the film - not something that happens to me often.
The film has been rated as an 18, and I think that this is about right. There are some very disturbing images of the young women that Grenouille murders, which won't suit anyone with a weak stomach.
I would not go as far as to say this is the best film that I have seen this year, but it is not far off. Apart from the ending, which left me shaking my head in disbelief, this is a well-crafted film that totally deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it. Watch it, even if you have to pay full price.
I watched the film only version, but the DVD with extras on two discs is available from play.com for £12.99.
Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
The book has been on my Top Ten list for many years so I think I'd probably be disappointed by the film.
RICHADA 22.08.2007 23:21
That was all new to me - and with Alun Rickman is a film that wouldcertainly appeal - even in a minor role he can turn an average film into a great one. Richard.
Based on Patrick Suskind's novel about a serial killer who hunts victims with his ... more
superhuman sense of smell,Perfume: Story of a Murdereris a florid, grisly portrayal of this historical drama set in 18th century France. Jean-Baptiste Grunuis (Ben Whisha...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Based on Patrick Suskind's novel about a serial killer who hunts victims with his ... more
superhuman sense of smell,Perfume: Story of a Murdereris a florid, grisly portrayal of this historical drama set in 18th century France. Jean-Baptiste Grunuis (Ben Whisha...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Interesting storyline, brilliant concept, brilliantly acted. Disadvantages: A far out arty film, maybe not for a broad spectrum audience as other films might be.
![Perfume - The Story Of A Murderer [DVD] [2006]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78097360.jpg "Perfume - The Story Of A Murderer [DVD] [2006]")
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