Culture. Eat it
23 November 2017
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.”
Disconcerting, shocking at times, like it or not Perfume: the story of a murderer is a movie that does not leave you indifferent.
The cinematographic interpretation of Patrick Süskind’s novel by the filmmaker Tom Tykwer causes opposite emotions in the audience. You start with feeling pain and a kind of empathy for the poor Grenouille and you end up detesting him. Even the plot – I will not reveal that – from an historical tale turns into a sort of science fiction narration at the end.
In short, there is everything, and perhaps this everything is not told in the best ways, but Perfume: The story of a murderer has two great merits: the first is to have brought to the screen an incredibly fascinating and complex novel and the second is to have emphasized a sense too often underestimated.
Because in this film you can perceive smells, like the nauseating one at the Parisian market, the intriguing and delicate one of a young woman, that of enchanting nature or the inebriating one of a great city.
Too often we forget that smells are associated with memory and are capable of triggering physical and emotional reactions and Perfume: The story of a murderer reminds us well. Grenouille, the protagonist, is obsessed with the search of the perfect perfume because he does not own one. Is in the very fact that he does not smell anything that resides his sociopathy, his inability to love, his search for the perfect essence, his desire to be able to enclose in every small flask any aroma.
The characteristics of this contradictory protagonist are the strength of this film that caused in critics and spectators totally opposed reactions.
And it is precisely when something divides so much that art comes.
Numerous are the artists who were inspired by this film so much to reinterpret its poster or to create dedicated illustrations.
Today I show you some really great.
Enjoy them!
Author
Bio:
Copywriter, content creator and mum with a huge passion for photography. Writing is a therapy that allows her to express her own personality and brings out her true voice. Better than a psychiatrist. Forever trying to find her way, at the time, she prefers to get lost.
