Hey folks, Harry here... If you have never read the novel upon which this film will be based, beware of the paragraph that begins and ends with a Spoiler Warning... Otherwise, just know that this sounds a bit like a cross between Fritz Lang's M and LOVE POTION #9, which is just about the strangest damn crossing of two films I've ever heard, but then... I suppose that's why Scorsese, Tim Burton, Shekhar Kapur, Ridley Scott and Jeunet were all trying so desperately to get this thing. Makes scents... (Sorry, couldn't help it)
Howdy Harry-
Don't know if this might be of interest to you, but:
Ridley Scott is reported today as being attached to direct a film based on Patrick Suskind's novel Perfume: Story of a Murderer.
Click here for the 'official story'!
I read the book a while back and wanted to pass on an idea of this particular project. The book itself was written 20 years ago, but the author felt that only Kubrick could do the book justice onscreen. After Kubrick's death, Suskind was convinced to auction the film rights. Various studios jockeyed for the rights, with directors including Scorsese, Tim Burton, Shekhar Kapur, and JP Jeunet all interested. After a fierce bidding war, Constantin Films bought the rights alone for somewhere between $5-10 million with Scorsese in mind. So now, there's news that Ridley Scott announced this as his new project.
So what's the big deal? What about this book makes everybody go crazy? Here's the story of what it's about (just a warning: some minor spoilers, with a big spoiler at the end):
In 18th century France, a baby is born who has no scent. He is an olfactory blank slate. As he grows up, we learn that he has a perfect sense of smell. He can smell something and instantly identify its place of origin. One night, he smells something so perfect and exquisite that he follows the smell throughout Paris, and finds a 13 year old girl whose smell is so perfect that he cant take it. He wants to posess the smell, and so he kills her. He becomes obsessed with replicating her smell, and will do anything to recreate her smell. So a series of remarkable and tragic events take place...
If they follow the book closely, this film is going to be VERY controversial for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of a scene toward the end (BIG SPOILERS BEGIN) when, as he is about to hanged for his crimes, he carries with him a perfume so perfect that it causes the thousands of people there to spontaneously have a an enormous orgy, one that will make Eyes Wide Shut seem like a trifle. (END SPOILERS)
The book is very cinematic (apart from its vivid descriptions of smells), and I can see whey Kubrick would have been interested. Ridley Scott will do a great job on this; I can't wait to see the film's visuals. I can just about guarantee that this'll be one helluva ride.
Anyway, that's my two cents on this film. I hope it gets made.
Call me Abulafia
