There's always hope. It’s not about seeing a great movie – it’s not so straightforward. That's the main message of the film. The “Smell” itself generates a lot of questions, to answer which it is better not to even try.
So there lived the macho-military Fausto, the king at the feast of life. He went blind and became a complete loser. Living in joy is no longer possible. And now he depends on others whose help he has to accept. He hates himself for helplessness and hates those who help him, for which he is constantly rude and neglectful to them. The first question is, what should I care as a viewer about all this? Which genre do not take, since the character is in the center, it means that he must cause some feelings, positive or negative - this is another question. In Fausto’s case, the only question is “what?” Fausto learned to use blindness as a way of entertainment. For his own pleasure, he mocks people, taking advantage of what they sympathize with him. But despite all the efforts to please yourself in this way, the blind person does not become happier. And again, "So what?"
Two-thirds of the film is not an entertaining adventure of the characters on the way to their destination, which gives nothing, reveals nothing, except the character of the main character. It’s not often that you see a movie that lasts an hour! This is the first one I remember. Finally, the action begins, which is guessed during the play. Fausto decided to finally burn in life to the fullest. The question is, is there any meaning in life if you are helplessly blind? Suddenly, along with the existential message in full growth, a love line appears. As for the love of a young girl for a non-young, blind eccentric man motivated by “I love everything” – I don’t believe it. Such a love line would be well suited to a film about the vicissitudes of the human psyche, but “Smell” is clearly not about this. Of course, the film is built on contrast. Fausto instantly smells a woman, but not then. And then Fausto realizes he's not as strong as he thought he was. A weak person can accept the help of another. Fausto’s throwing reminded me of an episode from Down House. The one in which Hippolyte wrote the story of how he wants to stop this mess read it to the brat, and the matter did not finish. And the brats from under the tables climbed and beat Hippolyte to death for dishonest attitude to the task. So, in the history of Hippolyte life truth orders of magnitude more than in the history of Fausto. Smell is, of course, an optimistic film. He argues that there is a meaning to life, only the right person is needed, and he will be found. We can agree with this, only the hope shown must be somehow convincing. In "The Smell," she breaks records of inconclusiveness.
Surprisingly, the American remake is very different from the original. It is clear that the time and place of action are different, but it is not just that. Hollywood masters removed all “adult” content and replaced with glamour and snot. Improved so much. It's scary to imagine what would have happened if they tried to make the film worse. However, overseas imitators at least took care that the character of the main character betray the development, to show that the experience gained gave him the desired meaning of life. They did it at the soap opera level, but at least they tried.