I went to see 'Perfume' over the weekend - the film is adapted from the book by Patrick Susskind and is a dark and dramatic tale of obsession, murder and the quest for a truly transcendent fragrance.
The book introduced an anti-hero named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who follows his nose to the point of obsession. Born into the squalor of 18th-century Paris, miserable Grenouille finds beauty and solace in the world of scent. His unearthly sense of smell both protects and leads him astray. When he discovers the art of perfumery, he believes he has found his calling. He convinces perfumer Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman) to give him a job.
The scents he wants to capture are of regular things like glass, stones, housecats and, eventually, human beings. The quest for this last scent, however, requires murder.
While watching the film I thought that it would be a certainty that a perfume would be produced to coincide with the film's release and sure enough International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc., in New York have released the set: 14 crystal bottles holding a quarter ounce each and one bottle of half an ounce. They nest in a red velveteen box.
The perfumes include:
Baby -- Creamy, milky, sweetly sour, a blend of 25 ingredients. Inspired by the smell of a freshly washed (thank goodness) infant.
Paris 1738 -- Could also be called Times Square, January 1, 11 a.m. Smells of cheese and feet, and a general state of being unwashed. Ingredients include essence of seaweed and a modern synthetic molecule that smells like dirty hair. Paris 1738 lingers in the room like an unwanted, rather smelly guest. It certainly evokes a time and a place when perfume was used to rescue delicate noses from the stench of the streets. Handle with care.
Virgin No. 1 -- Named for Grenouille's first victim, a beautiful young Parisian plum seller. According to IFF, for this scent, scientists analyzed and chemically reconstructed the scent of a virgin's belly button. At this time, I cannot comment on the realism of that element, but the other listed notes of yellow plums and milk (seems like goat's milk) are evident.
Atelier Grimal -- Named for the Tannery where anti-hero Grenouille works, it smells of old, creased leather with a dab of animal and a smidge of noxious chemicals.
Human Existence -- Like Paris 1738 with a jaunty dash of incontinence. There's an element of scared animal. It's foul, it's sad and it takes you places you don't want to go.
There are more pleasant scents in the box, like Sea, a melony fresh take on an ocean breeze, and Noblesse, a blend of rare flower aromas that smells expensive because it is. But those aren't the ones that will change your nose's outlook on life.
The fantasy scents are available in limited numbers from an online service in the U.S. The pricetag is $700. That may sound preposterous. Then again, they're already sold out in Europe.
