Regie:
Roman PolańskiKamera:
Tonino Delli ColliMusik:
VangelisBesetzung:
Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Peter Coyote, Victor Banerjee, Stockard Channing, Patrick Albenque, Geoffrey Carey, Ysé Tran (mehr)Inhalte(1)
Eine Mittelmeerkreuzfahrt soll der monoton gewordenen Ehe von Nigel und Fiona neuen Schwung verleihen. An Bord trifft das junge britische Paar auf den gelähmten Schriftsteller Oscar und seine deutlich jüngere Frau Mimi. Nigel kann sich der Faszination von Mimis mysteriöser Schönheit nicht entziehen, zumal ihm Oscar in stundenlangen Gesprächen intime Details aus seiner Ehe offenbart. Häppchenweise erzählt er die Geschichte ihrer Liebe, die mit Leidenschaft begann und über sexuelle Obsessionen in zerstörerischem Hass endete. Nigel gerät mehr und mehr in den Bann der verführerischen Mimi und ihres zynischen Mannes und auch Fiona wird in das bizarre Spiel hineingezogen... (Kinowelt)
(mehr)Kritiken (7)
In Roman Polanski's filmography, this is a relatively lesser-known piece, especially compared to The Fearless Vampire Killers or Rosemary's Baby. However, it's one of his best films - personally, I rank it third after The Pianist and the drama Death and the Maiden. It's a fateful psychological drama of a couple torn apart by sexual passion, jealousy, and mutual dependence, which escalates into hatred. Strong performances and a script that manages to depict the pathology of a love relationship without delving into unnecessary vulgarity. Overall impression: 85%.
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Mit dem gleichnamigen Roman von Pascal Bruckner bin ich noch nicht in Berührung gekommen, aber er verdient sicherlich den Vergleich mit einem Film wie Bitter Moon. Denn die Abgründe und Ecken pathologischer Liebesbeziehungen sind immer eine Herausforderung zur Verarbeitung und den Dialog mit dem Leser oder Betrachter. Erst jetzt wird mir bewusst, wie vielfältig Polanskis Werk ist, und manchmal, in ruhigeren Zeiten, kehre ich zufrieden zu ihm zurück. Es ist ewig schade, dass sein Name eher eine Ursache denn ein Synonym für sein Werk ist. Der einzige Fehler, den ich hier sehe, ist übrigens die Besetzung von Hugh Grant und Kristin Scott Thomas, die damals schon zu große Stars waren, um nur Nebenrollen zu spielen. Der Rahmen dieser Silvesternacht, die dicht gedrängte Umgebung des Schiffes und die Darstellung der ganzen verheerenden Romanze als Geständnis an ein neues Opfer sind allesamt gut. Und als Bindeglied zwischen der alten und der neuen Welt funktioniert der glossierende Inder ideal, was eine sehr kluge Entscheidung ist.
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I’d always had Polanski as a competent filmmaker, but so far none of his films had managed to captivate me. Between him, as a creator, and me, as a viewer, I’d always felt some sort of barrier that wouldn’t let me tune into the same vibes. Until now. Bitter Moon finally did it. I really dove into this study about an unhealthy relationship during a sea cruise, and I enjoyed it. The experience was both pleasant and unpleasant at the same time.
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"Have you ever felt real, overpowering passion?!" From the first minute, I felt that, like Nigel, I was being drawn almost against my will into the destructive psychological game of two self-destructive individuals, and I knew that there would be no happy ending. A study that hurts in the deepest places.
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From the very first shot it is devilishly sophisticated and deceiving, and a grandiose depiction of the pure dehumanization of a relationship between two people. All this against the depressing backdrop of a ship or the darkened streets of Paris – your typical neo-noir Polanski of the late eighties/early nineties. It's fascinating how emotionally complex this fresco is and yet it flows with the ease and agility of a racy erotic thriller. One of the director's best films, which you come to like gradually, over time, through a tough skin.
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Roman Polanski is able to brilliantly capture the human psyche, human desire, and even human lust. The story, narrated here by the protagonists themselves and which ultimately unfolds and crescendos, is incredibly sexy but in a destructive way, leaving you with a lingering feeling that you want to escape. The characters may not succeed. Well-chosen actors!
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Although Oscar's narrative is the main frame of the entire film, the implications of his relationship with Mimi naturally translate to the present and gradually influence Hugh Grant's character in his actions and endeavors :)) The depiction of Oscar and Mimi's relationship is at times lyrical, charming, idyllic (there is a beautiful juxtaposition of her youthful innocence and naivety with Oscar's "awakening"), at times bizarre (but also funny), and ultimately, of course, escalated (both physically and psychologically). Equally compelling is the setting in which Bitter Moon takes place. All in all, this is a masterpiece, detailing (sometimes perhaps too much:)) the course of a somewhat perverse but all the more interesting relationship, while tying in another (contemporary) storyline, which it fantastically intersects with at the end.
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