Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a novel that has been fighting to get to the screen for over 20 years. German author Patrick Süskind had long been skeptical about a possible film adaptation and always declined to sell the rights. In fact, his stance was so adamant that it was itself portrayed in a film called Rossini, about an author who refuses to relinquish his story to filmmakers. Since its publication in 1986, Perfume has garnered interest from a host of directors, including Stanley Kubrick, Milos Forman, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott and Tim Burton, all of whom felt the story was ultimately unfilmable. Although it has finally been brought to the screen by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), the failure of previous efforts is understandable considering the precise nature of the tale. Set in 18th century France, Perfume chronicles the sad life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (played perfectly by newcomer Ben Whishaw). Born in the foulest section of Paris, in the putrid bowels of a fish market, he is immediately abandoned by his mother and left for dead. Spending his childhood in an orphanage, our protagonist is despised by those around him. The other children cannot explain their aversion, but are convinced in their souls that there is something very wrong with Grenouille. In fact, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille possesses the greatest sense of smell in the known history of the world. It is so acute that he can discern organisms—plants, animals, even people—from miles away. He can distinguish between water and rock from vast distances, breaking down the elements that make up the world and cataloguing it within his extensive mind. Yet, for all of his olfactory abilities, Grenouille has no smell of his own. As such, he wanders the world unnoticed, like a phantom. This drives him to create the ultimate perfume using the most beautiful fragrances he can imagine. His methods in obtaining them, as the title suggests, are horrifying to say the least, and this is why one might hesitate to recommend Perfume to others. It is, fundamentally, about a serial killer. But unlike the charismatic Hannibal Lecter, or the vulnerable Tom Ripley, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is a hollow shell of a person, propelled only by his pursuit of a perfume. As such, he is more like an animal, driven by instinct, than he is a human being. Like the novel, the film does nothing to sympathize with him, and thereby asks a great deal from the audience. However, those willing to follow Grenouille on his journey will be rewarded with a beautiful production where all the expense shows up vividly on the screen. The costliest German film ever made, Perfume is by and far the most handsome looking film of 2006. Tykwer succeeds rather impressively in illustrating Grenouille’s sensory skills, and it is doubtful that even Süskind himself will find many faults with the adaptation. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer will not appeal to everyone, but those who relish the original story will likely feel the same way about the film.

Directed by Tom Tykwer.
Written by Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger and Tom Tykwer.
Starring Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Dustin Hoffman and John Hurt.

Rated R for aberrant behavior involving nudity, violence, sexuality, and disturbing images. 147 min.

****½ so says The Fish