The film revolves around an enthusiastic young man who always has different experiences with sex and always tries to renew the sexual fire in his marriage. One day, this young man decides to take a trip with his wife. During that journey, everything will change, as this young man confronts and falls for another tempting woman, making everything go at a completely different turn.
Strong playing by topliner Peter Coyote can't compensate for a script that's all over the map and a tone that veers from outre comedy to erotic game-playing.
Polanski's study of a marriage based on obsession, lust and cruelty was panned by critics as tasteless pornography, but there's a rich fascination in the film's openly voyeuristic, lurid extremes.
During 2 1/2 hours of choppy waters, soured love affairs and seasickly moods, the controversial director's Lust Boat becomes the Loathe Boat. By then, it's way too late for Dramamine.
Deliberately provocative, infuriatingly melodramatic, this is a film that begs not to be taken seriously, and requires a ready suspension of moral discernment for maximum enjoyment.
This material obviously appeals to his sense of mischief, which remains alive and well.
Washington Post
January 01, 2000
By turns funny, brilliant, shocking and downright terrible, this choppy, two-hour-plus voyage is for Polanski aficionados who don't mind watching their favorite, aging enfant terrible going gleefully under.
Bitter Moon is entertaining, but in the manner of ghastly car crashes and legendary theatrical disasters; you can't take your eyes off it, but you often want to.
It's a matter of some dispute whether Roman Polanski's letter to the darker side of the romantic impulse, but there's little question that this is his most emotionally complex movie.
