Perfumes are the means to please our sense of smell. The creation of perfumes is an art in itself while the use of perfumes is one of the highest forms of expression.
Smells have this incredible link with our memories and that is why some movie writers have decided to pay tribute to perfumes by making movies about the power of perfumes and smell.
So, if you’re seeking a movie about perfumes, here are five of our top picks for you to see.
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009)
The movie follows the life of Coco Chanel and a brief affair she had with the celebrated composer, Igor Stravinsky whie his wife suffered from a deadly illness.
Although the movie’s plot focus was more on the personal life of Coco than perfumes, it beautifully captures the life of Coco Chanel before she launched her iconic Chanel N° 5 perfume.
Related: Scream ‘Womanhood’ with Chanel N°5
Perfume: The Story of A Murderer (2006)
The movie is based off of the bestseller novel by Patrick Suskind. Any lover of scent or one with a sharp nose would be enthralled by this movie.
Ben Wishaw plays Jean Baptise Grenouile who was born with an astute sense of smell. His natural talent paves way for him in the perfume industry as an apprentice to consummate perfumers. However, Jean Baptise is overcome with a compelling youth to capture one scent- the scent of youthful womanhood. It is a smell he finds on young and beautiful women.
He takes the time to learn the art of perfumery so that he can finally find a way to capture that scent and produce the most beautiful scent in the world. This sets him on a dark quest which involves the murder of the young women whose scents he wishes to capture.
The Scent of A Woman (1992)
Charlie is a student at the local prep school. In need of some quick cash, he takes on a job as an assistant to a blind and foul tempered ex military man, Frank Slade.
Initially, they could not stand each other but as the duo spends more time together, they bond. Charlie begins to have some deep appreciation for Frank’s uncanny sense of smell. Frank recognizes women by their scents and he knows the particular famous perfumes on them.
Scents and Sensibility (2011)
The romantic comedy is inspired by Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ We know, movies with inspirations from books are a favorite. The adaptation of the book is focused on smell. Elinor and Marriane’s father, Mr Dashwood is suddenly jailed for embezzlement. This tarnishes the family name and reduced their goodwill. The sisters are forced to get jobs in order to fend for themselves. Marianne later gets the sisters a breakthrough when she created an intoxicating scented lotion that people couldn’t get enough of.
Nose (2021)
This is a documentary film detailing the creation of Dior’s ‘Maison de Parfums.’ The documentary focuses on the talent and hard work of perfumers which is often overlooked as attention is usually focused on the big brands that the perfumers work with. The perfumer, Francois Demanchy is constantly on the move in search of inspiration, rare and expensive ingredients for his craft.
