Film Information
Film: Uzushio (Japanese title; original title: Le Sauvage)
Release year: 1975
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Cast: Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve
Available to watch on U-NEXT!!!!
Film Review
Both Olivia Giacobetti (in Japanese) and Francis Kurkdjian (in Japanese) have cited this film as one of the things that inspired them to become perfumers. Its original title, Le Sauvage, means “the wild” or “the savage.” What at first seems like a rough-edged gangster-film story gradually becomes a story centered on perfume.
It tells the story of Nelly, a selfish, unruly character played by the beautiful Catherine Deneuve, and Martin, a wild-looking perfumer living self-sufficiently on an isolated island. They overcome various obstacles arising from Nelly’s circumstances and eventually fall for each other (a familiar story, isn’t it?). What makes Martin appealing is that someone who at first seems to be nothing more than a greengrocer living on an isolated island turns out to be an exceptionally talented perfumer, hiding that fact and living apart from the everyday world. The story changes direction around two-thirds of the way through, but do see its pleasures for yourself.
