From "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer"

Scent and Memory

NakanoSekiguchi-san, do you have any memories related to perfume?

SekiguchiThe other day, I got into a taxi, and the driver said, "You rode with me six months ago, from here to here, didn't you?" When I asked how he remembered, he said, "That scent." He said it through the rearview mirror (laughs).

NakanoWhat were you wearing?

SekiguchiL'Eau d'Issey. It's a popular perfume that many people wear, isn't it? So I thought, maybe I did something memorable to the driver, and I was just terrified (laughs).

NakanoHe said "That scent" without even looking (laughs). It's true, with words, we often forget the details, but scent can reproduce information exactly as it was, even after time has passed.

SekiguchiIt made me realize that scent can be etched into memory.

NakanoConversely, some people try to imprint their presence into others' memories through scent, don't they?

Editor MakotoThe author E.Y. is famous for that. When "Poison" wafts from afar, everyone gets restless, saying, "Ah, they're coming!" (laughs).

NakanoTo reach that level would be admirable. For me, at best, it's just a single drop on a letter...

SekiguchiSo when the mail arrives, you know, "Ah, here comes the bill from Nakano-san" (laughs).

At GAGA Headquarters

A Perfume-Obsessed Film, Like Perfume Itself

Editor MakotoThis film is certainly a major work, but its story is so unique that I can't imagine how audiences will react. What do you think general audiences will make of it?

NakanoThe acting is superb, the costumes are perfect, the music is brilliant, and there isn't a single wasted frame in the visuals. It's a remarkably perfect film.

SekiguchiHowever, I didn't cry watching it, nor did I laugh heartily, nor did it leave me feeling refreshed, nor did I gain any valuable lessons.

NakanoLike perfume, while you're experiencing it, you're swept away by emotions without fully understanding why. Then, without quite grasping what happened, you wander out of the cinema as if from a daydream (laughs).

SekiguchiImmediately after watching, I think I felt a sense of indigestion. I couldn't define the emotions I was feeling, leaving me unsettled. Because of that, I've been dwelling on it, thinking about the film whenever something reminds me of it. It might be a film that lingers in our daily memories and makes us reflect on it long afterward.

NakanoPrecisely, the same effect as a superb perfume.

NakanoAs the audience watches, do they want Laura to be saved, or are they expecting her to be killed?

SekiguchiOf course, we naturally want the genius to complete his mission. We want him to kill Laura and complete his work.

SekiguchiThe original author was German, wasn't he? And Tykwer is also German.

NakanoGermans and perfume. When you think about it, it doesn't seem like a particularly compatible combination, does it? I might be prejudiced (laughs).

SekiguchiI feel a German longing for France in the idea of being willing to kill for art, a kind of French artistic absolutism.

NakanoFew films allow for so many layers of discussion. It's a film that doesn't permit simple reactions like "I cried" or "I was moved"; it's profoundly complex and deep, isn't it? In that sense, it truly resembles the finest perfume itself, which defies easy explanation.

(End of this section)



"Perfume: The Story of a Murderer"
Opens Saturday, March 3rd, at Salonpas Louvre Marunouchi and nationwide via Shochiku/Tokyu circuit