Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006)
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An olfactory genius embarks on a homicidal quest to create the perfect scent in 18th-century France.
The story
Set in 18th-century France, the film follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man with a superhuman sense of smell. After a series of events leads him to the realization that he lacks his own personal scent, he becomes obsessed with capturing the essence of others. He seeks out a master perfumer to teach him the secrets of the craft. However, his quest for the ultimate fragrance leads him down a dark path of obsession and violence as he seeks to create a scent that will make him noticed by the world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story begins with the sentencing of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a murderer, told in flashback. Born in a fish market, he is raised in an orphanage where he develops a superhuman sense of smell. After a tragic incident involving a plum seller, he becomes obsessed with her scent. He eventually finds a mentor, the perfumer Giuseppe Baldini, who teaches him to create fragrances. After Baldini's death, Grenouille travels to Grasse to find the 'thirteenth scent'—the essence of a woman. He begins a killing spree of young women to capture their scents, eventually targeting the wealthy Laure Richis. After capturing her scent, he is captured by soldiers. On the day of his execution, he applies his finished perfume, causing a mass hallucination and orgy among the crowd. He is declared innocent and then later abandoned by the crowd. Ultimately, he returns to his birthplace, pours the perfume over his head, and is lost in a crowd of people overwhelmed by the scent.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 147
- Production countries
- Germany; France; Spain; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tom Tykwer
- Cast and characters
- Ben Whishaw · Jean-Baptiste Grenouille; Alan Rickman · Richis; Rachel Hurd-Wood · Laure; Dustin Hoffman · Baldini
- Genres
- psychological thriller; fantasy
- Themes
- obsession; identity
- Tone and mood
- dark; visceral
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; serial killer; perfumery
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1985 novel of the same name by Patrick Süskind
- Reception
- Critics gave the film mixed reviews. The visual style and performances of Rickman and Whishaw were predominantly praised, while the unevenness of the screenplay and casting of Hoffman were criticized.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 59% · scale: approval rating · review count: 131; Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Best Cinematographer · European Film Awards · 2007 · win; Silver Best Feature Film · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Cinematography · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Costume Design · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Editing · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Production Design · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Sound · German Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Director · Bavarian Film Awards · 2007 · win; Best Production Design · Bavarian Film Awards · 2007 · win; Bambi Award · Film – National · 2006 · win; Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film · Saturn Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Director · Saturn Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Writing · Saturn Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Supporting Actress · Saturn Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Music · Saturn Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Actor · People's Choice Awards · 2007 · nomination; Best Composer · People's Choice Awards · 2007 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was one of the most expensive German films.; The production used 5,200 extras, including 750 for the orgy scene.; A limited edition perfume collection was released in collaboration with Thierry Mugler.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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