État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti©)

There is a deeply gratifying sense of relief in having just watched a film dealing with “the end of the world”. In times of global pandemic, I’m well aware that a healthy dose of uncomplicated, feel-good entertainment is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Nonetheless, more than cinematic distractions oozing with right-in-your-face positivity, I currently find myself reaching for films that present a variety of pre/post-apocalyptic visions. Why, you ask? Because they enhance my realization that, no matter how dire things may be, they could be much, MUCH worse! It’s that comforting feeling that, as mankind, we’re not quite THERE yet – “there” being a straightforward hostile Alien invasion (“War Of The Worlds”, “Independence Day”, “Edge of Tomorrow”) or a sneakier one, attempting to rob humankind of its humanity (“Invaders from Mars”, “I Married a Monster from Outer Space”, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”); a frantic race against time to avoid a collision with a star/comet or keep Earth in orbit (“When Worlds Collide”, “The Day the Earth Caught Fire”, “Armageddon”); an urban dystopia driven by suppressing human (and android) rights (“Blade Runner”, “Mad Max”, “A. I.”); a nightmarish world due to a nuclear/ecological disaster (“Day the World Ended”, “Planet of the Apes”, “The Day After Tomorrow”) or overpopulation/food shortage (“Soylent Green”, “Logan’s Run”, “Delicatessen”); a horrible plague that left humankind infertile (“The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Children of Men”); fellow humans turned into zombies  (“The Last Man on Earth”, “Night of the Living Dead”, ”28 Days Later”); or travelling back in time in a final attempt to save mankind (“La Jetée”, “Terminator 2”, “12 Monkeys”).

“Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964, Stanley Kubrick/Hawk Films/Columbia Pictures© Screen captures by Despina Veneti, from her Sony Pictures© Blu-ray disc)

My personal preference is for films that deal with the threat of imminent doom (sometimes averted at a heavy cost, sometimes not at all), like “On The Beach” (1959), “Fail Safe” (1964) and especially “Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964). The latter is my favorite of them all, for its brilliant, utterly hilarious satire of the world’s nuclear “balance of terror”. Stanley Kubrick based the film on the events described in the 1958 suspenseful novel “Red Alert” by Peter George (published under the pseudonym Peter Bryant), a solemn, straightforward account of a nuclear war about to start. The director was initially planning to film it as a serious, dramatic thriller – until the absurdity of the ease with which such a catastrophe could be triggered gave him the ingenious idea to make a black comedy out of it, add the eponymous character of the ex-Nazi doctor, and have the world go in a blast, while Vera Lynn sings her WWII hit “We’ll Meet Again”… Humour can save our sanity, and such is the feeling I get from État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde, a delightfully quirky fragrance of comical spirit, explosive optimism and beautiful ingredients. An ideal companion for my daily home cinema ritual: great-smelling and calorie-free.

 

État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde & the 1958 first edition of Peter Bryant’s “Red Alert” (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti©)

 Fragrance Foundation Award Winning Perfumer Quentin Bisch agrees with my perception of the fragrance: “I’m glad you see the optimism and humour in it; it is indeed a very positive perfume that expresses the idea that every end is a beginning”. He first met the brand’s founder Étienne de Swardt, when he visited the État Libre d’Orange boutique as a fragrance lover dreaming of becoming a perfumer. Étienne gave Quentin the chance to display his talent in La Fin Du Monde, making it the young perfumer’s first solo fragrance assignment. Concerning the scent, Quentin told me: “The brief was Blaise Cendrars’ “La Fin Du Monde”, a surreal, dramatic, poetic novel where the Apocalypse happens. The writing is very cinematographic, focusing on the explosion of pretty much everything. The explosion of Earth brought to me images of a big seed that erupts… that, and cinema, gave me the idea of popcorn! The spectacularity of the end of the world in movies felt similar to the baroque profusion of colors and actions in the text. The idea was to illustrate this explosion of seeds, with the “bang” being the end, but also the start of something else. I saw the composition as an “exercise de style” around exploding popcorn, cumin, sesame and carrot seeds… and a cannon powder accord (like the seed of war going off) made of Mystikal® (strong metallic/incensey synthetic note) and Sclarene® (powdery, dry, burnt note reminiscent of hot wax). I wanted to smell the texture of all these powders in the air or on the ground as everything explodes.”

Givaudan perfumer Quentin Bisch & État Libre d’Orange founder/creative director Étienne de Swardt, with a rare photo of Jacques Damase inserted (photos courtesy of État Libre d’Orange, digital effects by Despina Veneti)

Similarly to The Afternoon Of A Faun, the idea for La Fin Du Monde came to État Libre d’Orange founder/creative director Étienne de Swardt during one of his many discussions with the late Jacques Damase (1930-2014), art publisher/collector extraordinaire, and a friend/mentor during the last years of his life. As Étienne put it, “Jacques started the chain reaction that led to the intellectual “ménage à trois” between him, Quentin, and myself as the middle link”. At the time he was entrusted with this ambitious project, Quentin Bisch was essentially starting out his career. When I asked Étienne if he felt he was taking a risk, he said: “Compared to the immense, everyday risks that staying alive involves, what’s so perilous about trusting a fragrance to a newcomer?” After all, he had found in the young perfumer an intelligent, cultured person that comprehended the story that had to be told, while being equipped with the skill to realise the scent in the appropriate tone: “I had every reason to expect great results from Quentin, we understood each other; he was the one who gave me that “bang!” I was looking for, the idea of the seed explosion. To my delight, he doesn’t have the “formulation only” mentality; and like with you, Despina, we can discuss together a variety of subjects. That’s the kind of person I enjoy talking to, about fragrance or anything else”.

État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde (photo collage/digital effects by Despina Veneti©)

État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde opens with a real “pop”, an aromatic blast of its central popcorn accord which, at this stage, is savory and warm, with a pinch of salt and a generous sprinkle of black pepper. A rather distant whiff of sweetness kicks in shortly: it feels like the cinemagoers sitting near you have ordered their popcorn caramelised – or could it be coming from the candy sold in the theatre foyer? The movie starts, and there’s plenty of action: a gunpowder accord attracts your attention with its metallic, smoky undertones, blending in with your popcorn – but you need not worry, it won’t overpower the aromatic experience of your snack. Now, what’s a film without romance? When the deceptively gentle Miss Iris enters the scene, make no mistake: she’s there to star, to captivate. The delicately airy freesia accents give her youthfulness, however she is no shy ingénue; her intrinsic rootiness, powederiness and buttery warmth are enhanced by the cornucopia of seeds (carrot, sesame, ambrette), the electrifying energy of cumin and the creaminess of sandalwood, emanating self-assured elegance and sophistication. She’ll find her match in spicy, appetizing Mr. Popcorn, who compliments her perfectly; together, they’ll eventually overcome the dark forces of Gunpowder, and work their blissful magic during the long drydown of their existence… (THE END)

Official Notes: Black Pepper, Popcorn, Roasted Sesame; Freesia, Iris, Cumin Seed; Ambrette Seed, Sandalwood, Gunpowder Accord.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Étienne de Swardt for my bottle of État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde & detail from Alison Castle’s “The Stanley Kubrick Archives” published by TASCHEN, 2008 (photo by Despina Veneti©)

Thanks to the generosity of Étienne de Swardt and État Libre d’Orange, we have a draw for a 100ml bottle of État Libre d’Orange La Fin Du Monde (value: 135€) for one registered reader in EU, UK, USA or Canada. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review//interviews, if you have an État Libre d’Orange favorite fragrance,  a pre/post-apocalyptic film you love, and where you live. Draw closes 11/7/2020.

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