Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Birkin (screenplay) &
Bernd Eichinger (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He lived to find beauty. He killed to possess it.

Plot:

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.

Plot Keywords:

Perfume | Scent | Search | Stench | Rowboat

Awards:

12 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Ben Whishaw	...	Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Francesc Albiol	...	Court Official
Gonzalo Cunill	...	Guard 1 Dungeon
Roger Salvany	...	Guard 2 Dungeon
Andrés Herrera	...	Door Guard (as Andres Herrera)
Simon Chandler	...	Mayor of Grasse
David Calder	...	Bishop of Grasse
Richard Felix	...	Chief Magistrate
Birgit Minichmayr	...	Grenouille's Mother
Reg Wilson	...	Customer - Fishmarket
Catherine Boisgontier	...	Woman - Fishmarket
Núria Casas	...	Woman 2 - Fishmarket (as Nuria Casas)
Carlos Gramaje	...	Police Lieutenant - Fishmarket
Sian Thomas	...	Madame Gaillard
Michael Smiley	...	Porter

Also Known As:

Das Parfum - Die Geschichte eines Mörders (Germany)
El perfume - Historia de un asesino (Spain)
Le parfum - Histoire d'un meurtrier (France)
Perfume (International: English title) (informal short title)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (International: English title)
Парфюмер: История одного убийцы (Russia) [ru]
El perfume (Peru) [es]
Koku - Bir katilin hikayesi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Le parfum - Histoire d'un meurtrier (Belgium: French title) [fr]
O Perfume - História de um Assassino (Portugal) [pt]
Pachnidlo: Historia mordercy (Poland) [pl]
Parfém - Príbeh vraha (Czech Republic) [cs]
Parfymen: Berättelsen om en mördare (Sweden) [sv]
Parfyymi (Finland) [fi]
Parfyymi - erään murhaajan tarina (Finland) (poster title) [fi]
Perfume - A História de um Assassino (Brazil) [pt]
Perfume - La historia de un asesino (Argentina) [es]
Profumo - Storia di un assassino (Italy) [it]
To aroma: I istoria enos dolofonou (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

147 min

Country:

Germany | France | Spain | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:12 | Czech Republic:12 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:R21 | Brazil:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG-12 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:18PL | Argentina:16 | Spain:18 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Philippines:R-18 | Peru:18 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Constantin Film Produktion

Trivia:

As of 2006, the most expensive German movie ever made.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The lavender fields are clearly Lavendula intermedia, natural hybrid of Lavendula angustifolia (the true lavender used in perfumery) and Lavendula latifolia. Lavendula intermedia was discovered only at the end of 19th century and cultivated from the 1930's. Its flower is bigger (and the visual aspect more suitable for a movie) than Lavendula angustifolia but its natural essence is less fine.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Court Official: Quick. We can't hold them back much longer. Hurry. Come on!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die wilden Hühner und die Liebe (2007)

Soundtrack:

Tarentelle

Best Big Budget

People who know the book tend to expect an exact illustration. This c a n work, but serves in any case to prove the book as untouchable "original" of which the movie manages or not to find appropriate images. The film has its flaws, I admit. I won't repeat the points others found. But the book has flaws as well. Art is always flawed. So Süskind fails to make his main character real. Through narration we understand smell to be deeply connected to our emotions, but we have no soul in the book to identify with. Therefore everything is left to our imagination.

Did anyone really wish to accompany an ugly, demented Grenouille two and a half hours long, and smile about the satirical and philosophical subtleness of the story? Film is a completely different art and requires the freedom to develop its own language. Imho Tom Tykwer made such a strong and overwhelming intro, the first 30 minutes are so good, that the rest of the movie, though good too, can't top it.

Compared to last years big budget movies the film is the most interesting since many years. Count "Aviator", but please leave out "Pirates" and "Superman"