The scent of Perfume, the flavor of Ratatouille

The scent of Perfume, the flavor of Ratatouille

I had the good fortune of watching the animated movie Ratatouille (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_(film)) last night. It was terrific, but I could not help but be reminded of another movie we recently watched, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume:_The_Story_of_a_Murderer_%28film%29).

Yeah, at first glance, a happy cartoon and the story of a murderer would seem to have nothing in common. However, when you cut down to the protagonists and their passions, there is an interesting parallel.

The protagonist of each story is blessed and cursed with a superior olfactory sense. Each character uses that sense to craft a product that evokes powerful emotion. Perhaps most deliciously, both learn that a blend of ingredients creates a sensation that far outstrips that of the separate components. I learned the same lesson as I watched them in close succession. Also, both movies are set in France and rely on rich visuals to convey scents and flavors.

Taken separately, I found Perfume to be fascinating, but I wouldn't watch it again... if I hadn't seen Ratatouille. Perfume definitely affected my viewing of Ratatouille. Now I'm interested in seeing how it works in reverse.

Anyway, I thought the combo was a bizarre and intriguing mixture, but maybe it's just my fixation on parallels and patterns. If you have or have had a chance to watch both let me know what you think.
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