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“Bitter Moon” was both praised and brutalized by the critics. The critics either loved the movie or despised it. Siskel and Ebert gave it two thumbs up with Ebert writing;

“The word ‘lurid’ was coined to describe films like this. Well, of course "Bitter Moon" is wretched excess. But Polanski directs it without compromise or apology, and it's a funny thing how critics may condescend to it, but while they're watching it you could hear a pin drop.”

Perhaps the critics thought it bad taste for Polanski to make such a controversial and sexually explicit movie since he, in 1977 at the age of 44, became embroiled in a scandal involving 13-year-old girl. It ultimately led to Polanski's guilty plea to the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and he became a US fugitive when before sentencing, Polanski was tipped off that the judge was going to disregard the plea bargain, in which case he would likely have faced a 50-year prison sentence. On February 1, 1978, Polanski fled to London before moving to France. As a consequence, Polanski has avoided visits to countries that are likely to extradite him and he mostly travels between France and Poland.