In 18th century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) is born with a sense of smell that is so well-developed that it is almost superhuman. He endures hardships but soon impresses a famous perfumer (Dustin Hoffmann) and goes to work for him. Then, Grenouille smells a virginal young girl and rapidly becomes obsessed with capturing that scent. This compulsion will lead him to become a murderer.

CRITIQUE

An excellent film about a serial killer can be kind of a rare thing, but two films released on DVD on the same day can claim to be just that. The first is obviously Zodiac, and the other is this film. Their settings are quite different but their level of quality is comparable. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer has a lushness of visuals and a strength of narrative that meld well together and the result is enthralling.

Sensuality is the central focus of the story in this movie, and this is true in a couple of ways. The senses themselves, particularly that of smell of course, are important, but so is the aspect of the word that has to do with the emotions, lust and love. Director Tykwer doesn’t shy away at all from presenting lust, which I’ll discuss more in a moment, but from the first frame he emphasizes the senses as well. The film’s first shot is of a man behind bars, his face in shadow and clever lighting focusing on his nose. This is a visual expression of the fact that this man, Grenouille, is enslaved by the extremely acute sense of smell that he has. This is the narrative’s central theme and it plays through to a successful (though bit disturbing) conclusion. Grenouille escapes the gallows by using the scent he has created by murdering, but through it’s effect on the crowd around him, he realizes the different path his life should have taken. Plus, there are small bits of humor and the information we learn about perfume-making is quite interesting.

Tykwer, director of the entertaining German films Run, Lola, Run and The Princess and the Warrior, establishes a pace that seems to fit between those two films. He also gives the audience clearly established sequences and shows a firm understanding of the effective way to use montage. He also wisely doesn’t horror-film scary with the killing scenes. There is also good editing throughout the film to compliment the beautiful locations and costuming the viewer is treated to as well. As for the actors, Whishaw is a find, solemn and still able to make the audience care for a murderer, while support like Alan Rickman (last seen as sneering Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and Dustin Hoffmann pretty much need further praise. The exceptional story, direction, and acting found in Perfume make it a memorable cinematic experience.

THE VIDEO

The format of widescreen is as reliable as ever on this disc, giving a great transfer from the theatrical print. Color and picture are both richly preserved.

THE AUDIO

There are two English tracks on this disc, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and English 2.0 surround, which work well. There are no foreign language tracks but there are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

The Story of Perfume: Lots of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage fill up this nice doc. The input of people like the production designer and costumer are most interesting, but my favorite moment is probably when Whishaw recounts meeting Hoffmann for the first time. Definitely watch this extra.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Perfume is a thriller with a sensual and lush feel, accomplished through both the excellent direction and acting and the gripping story. DVD will allow this film to have a wider audience, and though the film is only for adults, nearly all will want to at least rent. The nice extra may entice some to buy but see Perfume either way.