Set in Paris in the 18th century, the film also stars Dustin Hoffman

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer stars British actor Ben Wishaw as a young Frenchman who is driven to murder in an effort to create the perfect scent.

Despite being a best-seller, many had questioned whether the book could be adapted into a film.

But director Tom Tykwer, of Run Lola Run fame, told BBC World Service's On Screen programme it was "ridiculous" to say the book was unfilmable.

"It's a brilliant film concept, everything about it screams for a movie," says Tykwer, 41.

"It has so many elements that you want to have in films, and so many things that have never been explored in film. That's why it's so interesting to make a movie of it."

It's a beautiful challenge for the language of cinema to explore that world Tom Tykwer, director

But the German director claims Perfume was the toughest film he had ever worked on.

"What people were relating to when they said it would be difficult to film this novel is because it is about the olfactory universe, the world of smells.

"You're treating something abstract and trying to translate it," explains Tykwer.

"But it's a very obvious thing to say that the book doesn't smell, so you wouldn't expect the movie to smell.

"It's a beautiful challenge for the language of cinema to explore that world."

Book rights

Although Perfume was published in 1985, the time it has taken to reach cinemas is not entirely down to its "unfilmable" reputation.

He's such a withdrawn, isolated character - that can be quite a dangerous place to go to Ben Whishaw

In fact, the story of the film industry's efforts to secure the rights to the book from reluctant author Suskind became a film long before the book did - in the 1997 German satire Rossini, written by Suskind.

Directors and actors previously linked to the project include David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

Ultimately the lead role of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille went to rising star Whishaw, best known for his roles on stage, and as Pingu in British TV sitcom Nathan Barley.

Wishaw tackled the problem of spending so much time reacting to scents by having things to physically sniff on set.

"There were quite strong smells on the set - animals and dirt - so if I had to do a smelling scene, I was really smelling something," explains the 26-year-old actor.

But Whishaw, who won critical acclaim for his performance of Hamlet at London's Old Vic, said that playing such a bleak character left him feeling "quite strange."

"He's such a withdrawn, isolated character - that can be quite a dangerous place to go to."