Based on the best-selling novel|Sep. 13, 2006|Germany|147 Min.|R
Genre: Crime;Drama;Fantasy
Description: The 2006 film “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, portrayed by Ben Whishaw, a notorious murderer whose life story unfolds in flashback after he is sentenced to death. Abandoned at birth in a French fish market, Grenouille grows up in an orphanage, developing an extraordinary sense of smell but remaining emotionally detached. As an apprentice tanner, he makes his first trip to Paris, where he becomes fascinated by the city’s scents. His encounter with a young woman selling plums (Karoline Herfurth) takes a tragic turn when he accidentally suffocates her while trying to preserve her scent. This incident sparks his obsessive quest to capture and preserve the essence of human fragrance.
Grenouille’s talent for creating scents leads him to Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a struggling perfumer. With Grenouille’s help, Baldini’s career is revived, but Grenouille’s ultimate goal is to learn how to turn scents into perfume. Baldini teaches him that a perfect perfume consists of twelve distinct scents, with the possibility of a thirteenth that could create an unparalleled experience. Inspired by a story of a mythical perfume discovered in an Egyptian tomb, Grenouille becomes determined to craft his own perfect scent. However, his discovery that Baldini’s techniques cannot capture certain scents, such as those of metals or dead animals, leaves him disillusioned.
Seeking a new method, Grenouille travels to Grasse, realizing along the way that he lacks a scent of his own. This absence drives his ambition to create the ultimate fragrance, believing it will validate his existence. The film delves into themes of obsession, identity, and the pursuit of perfection, offering a dark and mesmerizing tale of a man consumed by his extraordinary gift.
Cast director: Tom Tykwer
Cast actor: Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Dustin Hoffman, John Hurt, Karoline Herfurth, David Calder, Simon Chandler, Sian Thomas, Jessica Schwarz
Original name: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer