The Story Of A Murderer. So last night I immediately watched it and I have to say, everyone who told me this film is very good is right. There are so many things to love. First off, it's a very accessible film and highly enjoyable for people who like the smaller indie art flicks and the more big budget blockbusters. Tom Tykwer, highly respected director and someone I've been following ever since the great Lola Rennt, does an amazing job bringing the big novel of writer Patrick Süskind to the big screen. I have to admit I haven't read Das Parfum, nor really knew what it was about. But I did know there was a boy involved who likees to make perfume of young beautiful women. And the way Tykwer brings the main character Jean-Baptiste Grenouille to life is a real feast to watch. He zooms in on noses and other objects CSI style to show how far his sense of smell reaches. The whole mise-en-scène from the setting to the costumes looks beautiful. The characters are wonderfully portrayed by the actors. Ben Whishaw does a great job at playing Jean-Baptiste, at times showing this innocent look in his eyes, which make you really care for himn as a viewer, even though he turns out to be a murderer. But knowing why he does it makes it acceptable. Also Dustin Hoffman is very charming and funny to watch as Giuseppe Baldini and Alan Rickman, who most people now as Severus Snape from the Harry Potter franchise, is very good as the concerned father. I really liked the story had a narrator and John Hurt who did the narrating did an wonderful job. He really has a nice comforting voice. I also really liked both girls with the beautiful red hair. The first girl, who is Jean-Baptiste first victim, was introduced wonderfully, following her from behind and slowly zooming in, but still too far away to touch. It really brought this mysticism on her and made the story more exciting. The setting was very large scale and fits perfectly with the story and the period it takes place. I loved how wonderful everything looked, but at the same time also looking very filthy. The film has a lot of nudity in it as well, but it is done very tastefully.What is it about?
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born on a fishmarket in France, is a boy with an exceptional quality. His smell can reach further than most people's noses do. As a child he develops this skill more and more, trying to sense new kind of smells he never smelled before. His life changes when one day a beautiful girl, red hair and beautiful white skin, walks by. Her smell is divine to Jean-Baptiste and he starts to follow her. As he follows her along, eventually to her home, he sneaks up on her to smell her from up close. When the girl notices him, she gets scared and starts to scream. Trying to make her shut up, he eventually accidentally
kills her. Already dead, Jean-Baptiste takes in the lovely smell of the girl corpse. But after he smelled all parts of her body he realizes the smell fades away after a while, which makes for a new objective. From then on he starts to look for a way to capture a smell and preserve it. This brings him to the steps of Giuseppe Baldini, a well known Italian perfume maker, who is intrigued by Jean-Baptiste's exceptional quality. Soon Jean-Baptiste makes a deal with Baldini. In order to get him to make compositions for the best perfumes, Baldini has to teach Jean-Baptiste how to capture a smell and preserve it. Unfortunately Baldini's attempt fails and Jean-Baptiste gets ill. Though, there is a way for Jean-Baptiste to get what he wants. In order to do so, he has to go to Grasse where they can teach him the complex craft of enfleurage. Not long after Jean-Baptiste learns of this method he gets better and starts his journey to Grasse. When he finally gets there he learns how to apply enflourage and turns into a murderer who uses the corpses of the girls to make the perfect scent which eventually saves him from being killed himself.Final Verdict: ****1/2
This film is beautifully crafted and tells a great compelling story. The ending could probably be perceived as a bit weird turning into this big love scene, but because the film truly believes in itself and its story it excells to a higher level making everything that
happens acceptable. This film is wonderfully shot and really digs into the human senses. Tom Tykwer has done an amazing job in telling this story and making it look beautiful and interesting. The characters are wonderfully played and the way the story is told keeps the film interesting from beginning to end. It's highly interesting to watch how far Jean-Baptiste goes in order to the perfect scent made of gorgeous women. I really liked this film and really think it's a film you must see. It's a really cool experience and is very enjoyable for a large audience. Hopefully I'll have the time to one day also read the novel.
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