Perfume:The Story of a Murderer

I recently watch the movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer aired on cable TV. I was really fascinated how this film brought the best selling novel to screen. But I may say that the movie isn’t as good as the book which is mostly the case.

This story set in 18th century France where a boy named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille created a very powerful perfume; presumably pheromones . So powerful that his creation can manipulate human emotions.

During his time he was considered as a “freak” since he lack body odor or simply he has no personal smell, but in our times we call him “the man”. He also has an extra ordinary gift of smell. He has the uncanny ability for discerning the individual smells of everything around him.




His obsession to preserve the perfect scent started when he smell what he called a divine scent. He followed that scent and was surprised to know that it came from a young woman. He killed her to get a better smell of her scent. But after death the scent ceases.

Grenouille then began his apprenticeship with the great perfumer Baldini and have mastered the art of perfumery. Still not satisfied with what he learned he started his journey in quest to isolate and preserve the perfect scents.


Upon his journey to Grasse, Grenouille once again entranced by the scent of a young beautiful woman named Laure. He then committed series of murder. He murdered women, cropped their heads and extracting their natural scents leaving them lifeless and naked. He successfully killed Laure and captures her scent as his last and main ingredient for his master piece.



He was then captured and sentenced to death. Before his execution, he damp little of his perfume that overwhelms the crowd. As if they were under a spell. In the movie, the executioner even kneeled before him and said that he is innocent. So powerful, his creation even caused a massive orgy among the towns people who was supposed to watch his fatal death.


Grenouille still not satisfied with his life since he is not loved for who he is but rather he is accepted and loved because of his creation. He then returned to his birth place in Paris where he approaches a group of low life people. He poured and emptied his perfume unto himself. The people turn to him with great desire. They tear him to pieces and devour his remains. It was a shocking and disgusting ending.

Anything that is too much is said to be bad. So, when drinking your beer you have to drink moderately. Same thing with perfumes, apply moderately :)

If you have a powerful perfume that could manipulate human emotions, what would you do?


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