Bitter Moon

An erotic thriller about the rise and collapse of an extremely painful, codependent love affair. The characters aren’t interested in romance or lofty ideals of love — they want to explore their passion. And they do explore each other — and themselves — to the point of total self-destruction.

Among critics, the film tends to provoke extreme reactions: it’s either fiercely criticized or passionately defended. Roger Ebert wrote:

“It’s easy to dismiss a film like Bitter Moon, shaking your head at the bad taste and fevered imagination of the director. The point of this reaction is to prove that you’re above such nonsense — that you're serious, mature, and balanced. Of course, Bitter Moon is a wild grotesque, but Polanski directs it without compromise or apology. And it’s almost funny how the very critics who 'condescend' to engage with the film end up watching it breathlessly.”