Marc M.

Cataluña March 5, 2018

Expository Writing Ms. Ma. Asuncion Denisse Enriquez

Critical Review on the Movie: Perfume: A Story of a Murderer

The movie Perfume looks into different types of human emotions. It digs deep within

human tendencies and explores the real situation of the medieval world. Many themes can be

drawn out from the movie but cruelty and inhuman treatment stand out throughout the movie.

Importance of childhood and hatred for humanity are also reflected in the movie. With these

themes, we can conclude by asking, “Are human beings really that cruel?”

Every human being is entitled to human rights such as right to live and exist, right to

freedom, freedom from exploitation, equality before law, to have adequate standard of living etc.

Human rights presuppose a rule of law and equality. Violation of the human rights is punishable

by law. Human rights are the rights to which an individual has a just right as a human being.

Men, women, and children collectively and individually have these rights by virtue of their birth

as human beings. Whenever there is an imbalance, there is a violence of human rights leading to

disturbance and chaos. I’m talking about people involved in politics or those political parties,

they talk of human rights but in practice they themselves commit a lot violation and get away

with it. No investigations are held as to whether who is to be blamed.

We see in the movie that before Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was born, his mother was

selling fish in the marketplace. The place was very dirty and muddy. People could get different

kinds of disease if they stay there for a long time. But considering that life was difficult during

that time, she strive to live a day. It was not easy to live in such place full of noise, mud, dirt and

stink but Grenouille’s mother didn’t mind the place just to live another day. His mother was

immediately killed after he was born. The people during that time did not value much life
compared to the present time. Human cruelty is reflected when the people knew that Grenouille’s

mother was accused of attempting to kill the baby. Because of the immediate judgment that

people make, Grenouille’s mother was killed by hanging by the angry mob. This is no different

to the present “Extra-Judicial Killings”. People are brutally tortured and killed. They are

deprived of their rights – human rights. They were not even given a chance to defend themselves

atleast by explaining or undergoing due process of law.

Traumatize by the horrors if his birth Grenouille did not have much chance to be capable

of normal human life. His basic needs were taken care of (as if he was a domestic animal) by

Madame Gaillard, who sold him as an apprentice to Grimal because the parish stopped paying

for his board and lodging. Because of these experiences Grenouille was never taught that he was

a valuable human being, and that he is special. Grimal did not treat him like a human but like a

domestic animal. As time pass, Grinal no longer treated him like an animal but a useful house

pet. In consequence, he began to become less attached to society. When Baldini bought him from

Grimal, he was not also treated like a human. He was only a source for perfume invention. All of

these factors contributed to his personality when he reached adulthood. Grenouille as an adult

became extremely detached from society because of his childhood experiences. The characters in

the story formed the protagonist to have hatred for humanity and become inhuman individual.

His hatred for humanity is so strong that he isolated himself in a mountain away from other

people. Nothing in this world other than the pursuit of scent has any attraction for him; no human

being holds any interest or love for him. This proves that Grenouille is a human that has become

detached from society and inhuman. Grenouille can thus be called the “perfect pessimist”.

The novel points out that scent can control the behavior of humans. It is greatly seen

throughout the movie. It is important to note that the protagonist Grenouille possesses a special
skill. Unlike normal people, he has the ability to distinguished scents simultaneously. Not only

the special sense of smell of Grenouille is highlighted in the movie but the vulnerability of

humans to different sorts of scent. It can be said that scent is integral to humans. They are

affected in a way that it sort of seduces the mind of a person. Unconsciously, he had no odor,

both in the mind of others and of himself. In the end, when he realized that there nothing left to

live for, he went to Paris. When he arrived, he showered himself with the perfume. Close to him

was a cannibal looking street people, who immediately devoured him after he had showered

himself with the perfume. After that incident, when the cannibals finally awoke, they felt

incredibly happy.

In any case, the movie was very thrilling and very reflective of a story of a murderer. It

goes to show that the movie goes deeper into humanity by exploring the question I posted in the

start of this essay, Are human beings really that cruel? The novel explores a lot of themes but the

theme “hatred for humanity” stands out among the rest. Perfume explains that human beings can

be detached from society and be very cruel to the point of being inhuman. It was clearly

portrayed through the character of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.

Humans long for pleasure. Needs are required to satisfy pleasure. In attaining these

needs, pain and suffering may be experienced. It is obvious that we all wish for what we need.

We may say that we have experienced the pleasure of satisfaction of our needs if we felt joy,

contentment, security, ecstasy, or even just a feeling of being complete. We may like or not, we

cannot entirely avoid burdens and sufferings in life. Thus, we must reflect and think twice before

deciding on something. Our instincts and immediate decisions in life, if not properly guided,

could be the source of our own suffering.