Bitter Moon (1992)

After hearing stories of her, a passenger on a cruise ship develops an irresistible infatuation with an eccentric paraplegic's wife.

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Pascal Bruckner (novel), Roman Polanski (screenplay)

Stars:

Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Coyote	...	Oscar
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	Mimi
Hugh Grant	...	Nigel
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Fiona
Victor Banerjee	...	Mr. Singh
Sophie Patel	...	Amrita Singh
Patrick Albenque	...	Steward
Smilja Mihailovitch	...	Bridge Player
Leo Eckmann	...	Bridge Player
Luca Vellani	...	Dado
Richard Dieux	...	Partygoer
Danny Wuyts	...	Bandleader (as Danny Garcy)
Daniel Dhubert	...	Bus Inspector
Nathalie Galán	...	Girl in Boutique (as Nathalie Galan)
Eric Gonzales	...	Cook

Storyline

British couple Fiona and Nigel Dobson are sailing to Istanbul en route to India. They encounter a beautiful French woman, and that night Nigel meets her while dancing alone in the ship's bar. Later he meets her crippled American husband Oscar, who tells him their story. While living in Paris for several years trying to be a writer, he becomes obsessed with a woman he met by chance on a bus. He tracks her down and they start a steamy love affair. Soon Oscar finds himself enslaved body and soul by her love, and continues to tell Nigel the details of this relationship in various stages over a number of visits to Oscar's cabin.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | extramarital affair | unfaithfulness | leg spreading | latex dress | 

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Taglines:

Some lovers never know when to stop...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for the strong depiction of a perverse sexual relationship

Details

Country:

France UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

18 March 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bitter måne

Filming Locations:

Paris Studios Cinéma, Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,997, 18 March 1994, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,862,805

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Les Films Alain Sarde

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Coyote differs to Emmanuelle Seigner, Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas in terms of nationality. Whereas Seigner, Grant and Scott Thomas are European; French and English respectively, Coyote is American. The odd one out in the quartet of the leads.

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Goofs

In the scene when Mimi cuts her hair for the first time and bakes a Turkey for Oscar, he is wearing the same turtle necked blue sweater that was ripped off with a razor blade during a previous sex game.

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Quotes

Oscar: It's no fun hurting someone who means nothing to you.

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Connections

References Blood for Dracula (1974)

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Soundtracks

Faith
Written by George Michael
Performed by George Michael
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment (France) S.A. /Epic

User Reviews

A lost gem!

Not as much as underrated as much as forgotten, "Bitter Moon" is a stellar portrayal of a dysfunctional marital relations ans a story of the edge between love and madness which opens the question whether love can make all of us madmen. The movie contains powerhouse performances from all actors involved and the fact that whole plot is happening on a boat leaves a sense of claustrophobia and suffocating. However, the real story and background lie in the flashbacks of a leading actor, played by Peter Coyote whose intimate confession to a fellow passenger (played by Hugh Grant) about his marriage, pushes Hugh's character in a bizarre triangle between his own wife (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) and Peter's character's wife (played by Emmanuelle Seigner). Both married couples are faced with desire, self-destruction and deceit in this poignant drama, which does carry a recognisable trademark of its director, Roman Polanski.