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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
2006 147 min Germany, France, Spain, United States of America, Belgium R 12+
★7.2
Crime, Fantasy, Drama
Director: Tom Tykwer
🎭 Based on
«Perfume»
byPatrick Süskind
Trailers
Description
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for the ultimate perfume.
Budget:
$63.7M
US Gross:
$2.22M
Worldwide:
$135.04M
Starring
Ben Whishaw
Actor
Dustin Hoffman
Actor
Alan Rickman
Actor
Awards
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Cinematography
European Film Awards 2007
— Prix d'Excellence
Saturn Awards 2007
— Best Director
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Original Score
European Film Awards 2007
— Audience Award – Best Film
Saturn Awards 2007
— Best Screenplay
Saturn Awards 2007
— Best Original Score
Georges Awards 2007
— Best Blockbuster
Saturn Awards 2007
— Best Supporting Actress
Saturn Awards 2007
— Best Action, Adventure or Thriller
MTV Russia Movie Awards 2007
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of Patrick Süskind’s novel is widely praised for its immersive, visceral recreation of 18th-century France and Ben Whishaw’s haunting central performance. While critics laud the film's technical mastery and sensory-focused storytelling, opinions on the narrative pacing and the film's emotional resolution remain divided.
| Acting | Ben Whishaw’s performance is a masterful anchor, capturing the protagonist’s unnerving combination of genius, loneliness, and inhumanity. | |
| Production | The production design and cinematography brilliantly contrast the opulence of the era with the visceral, filthy reality of the setting to build a suffocating, immersive atmosphere. | |
| Score | The musical score acts as a powerful, near-central character that effectively translates the protagonist’s internal emotional state. | |
| Adaptation | The film succeeds in the difficult task of adapting a non-trivial literary source, maintaining essential details while effectively utilizing visual storytelling to represent the sense of smell. | |
| Runtime | The 2.5-hour runtime is viewed by some as an essential, atmospheric experience, while others find it sluggish and boring. | |
| Ending | The film's ending polarizes viewers; some find it a sublime, powerful culmination of the narrative, while others consider it an abrupt, nonsensical disappointment. |