The soul of being is their scent.

Last month I think, I watched this movie entitled Perfume, the Story of a Murderer. Since perfume is another obsession of mine, I was totally glued to the tube aside of course because I also love watching weird movies.

According to the murderer’s teacher, a perfume is composed of several notes. The Head creates the first impression. It’s the first scent you smell after spraying the perfume. Then there’s the Heart which is the theme of the perfume. Then there is the Base. This leaves the trail of the perfume lasting seven days. Then there is that Extra note—that one final essence that will bring out and dominate the perfume. According to him, there are 12 discovered essences but there is a legend about the 13th. It is a legend because it could never be determined.

The murderer wanted to know how to capture the smell of all things. The teacher taught him Distillation at the right temperature. I’m a bit familiar with this because we distil every now and then during my college days. But he still couldn’t capture the scent of metals, and others. After a while, he left that place to go to this place, Grass, where perfume is its forte.

There he learned enfleurage. That’s how he captured the scent—of a woman. That was how he became a murderer. But on his way there, he went to this cave; there was something about this place. He was no longer distracted with externals. He was able to bask in his own existence. After a while he has almost forgot his obsessions. He found out that he didn’t have his own scent. He feared his own oblivion. It was as if he did not exist. He must continue his journey to Grass. He wanted to be exceptional....the gods had at last began to smile at him.

After killing several young beautiful women, he finally captured the 13th scent. And it was magical—powerful. And then you have to watch the movie or read the book to know the ending.=) It is written by Patrick Suskind with the title Perfume the Story of a Murderer.