Of course, (mercifully) we cannot smell what the Perfumer smells. In compensation we have hyper-real imagery, using stunning macro shots that are extreme close-ups in startling detail - the tiny hairs on a nose, the explosive splash of a single drop of essence falling into a pool. But more than the classic beauty was also the revolting beauty - maggots in a rat, the filth of the fishmonger, bad teeth, dirty hands - all in amazing, sometimes squeamish detail.
This film could not have been made in Hollywood - it has a unmistakeably European flavor and is unflinching in the details of early 18th century France. The story of single-minded obsession and remorseless killing in the name of love by a nearly mute actor is mesmerising. And Dustin Hoffman's merry turn as a foppish Italian perfumer provides welcome comic relief!
This film could not have been made in Hollywood - it has a unmistakeably European flavor and is unflinching in the details of early 18th century France. The story of single-minded obsession and remorseless killing in the name of love by a nearly mute actor is mesmerising. And Dustin Hoffman's merry turn as a foppish Italian perfumer provides welcome comic relief!