Perfume: A chillingly satisfying aroma

Awesome movie. Amazing book.

Originally written in October 2007

As everyone has probably already guessed, Halloween is just around the corner (possibly wearing a translucent white mask, wielding a sharp axe in its hand). While the holiday means different things for different people, there are some traditions that have fought their way through time and remain fun, as well as classic, forms of celebration for people of all ages.

One such tradition is of course the universal ritual that is scary movies. Admit it; we all like to be scared from time to time, even if what scares us sometimes keeps us up at night. But if it’s Halloween we’re probably all going to be up anyway. And one of the great things about living in the dorms is that you’re never alone.

Popular Halloween movies in this day and age are often slasher flicks that leave queasy feelings in one’s stomach or an unwanted image lingering in the darkness. But sometimes we come across that equally notable psychological thriller that plays with our minds as well as our senses, teasing out the vulnerable parts with a quick sleight of hand and a sickening smile. We’ve all seen movies like The Exorcist, Psycho, and Saw, blockbuster chillers that do much more than just make us scream.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a 2006 thriller based on the international bestseller by Patrick Suskind, is not your average Halloween movie. The villain is not particularly bloodthirsty nor is he on a relentless rampant for revenge. Quite the contrary - at times he appears to exhibit the kind of indifference towards humankind that trademarks cinematic villains such as Hannibal and Jigsaw. And that’s exactly what makes him so dangerous.

A killer without a conscience, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means reducing the lives of dozens of beautiful girls to nothing more than heads of shorn hair and naked bodies tossed aside like pretty little rag dolls. Curious? I don’t blame you. The title itself has intriguing implications; since when has a serial killer killed using the power of scent?

Part mystery and part sadist, Perfume is a subtle but lingering film set in 18^th century Paris that has the potential to engage your senses (particularly the sense of smell) through a chilling and somewhat preposterous (but in a fun way) plot about desire and those who have too much of it.