Cross Reference Images
The first lesson that Roman Polanski can give us in Bitter Moon (1992) is how to make images refer to each other.
In the sequences on the left, Mimi and Oscar are at a Fun Park. This is where Oscar declares his love for her. Their hands reach out. For a few seconds it seems that they cannot reach each other and then they do. When Oscar leaves Mimi and ends up in a hospital, Oscar reminds her of their day at the fun park. She obviously remembers. Their hands reach out again as in the previous sequence. This time she pulls him out of bed intentionally crippling him for life.
The same happens with the sequences on the left. Oscar is nostalgic about the life he has lost and how he intends to bring it back by leaving Mimi and regaining his freedom. That is his story. The images we see are of a spy entrapped in his room, reminiscent of Hitchcock's Rear Window prying at the outside world through his binoculars. Oscar is already entrapped, crippled inside his room. He can only watch as people party but cannot join in, he can only watch children at play but he will never have any and he can only watch a woman undress but he cannot touch or make love to her. Once again this is an image that refers to a later stage in the film or perhaps a current phase. Both the way that the story is told and the chosen images blur the timeline. It is Oscar's narration of his past life in the present and therefore the images can be past images as shot in the present.
The next shot after Oscar declares his love to Mimi is the top right shot in the image above. The spectator is left bewildered to see what seems like a jump cut from romance to a wedding. As Oscar and Mimi pull their faces out from the backdrop, we find out that they were only taking a photo. Yet the modern photo logo seen behind the protagonists is not modern because it is in the past. The photo will crop up again in Oscar's hands and he will tear it up. However, the marriage will happen albeit at a later date and on a more sinister note. The marriage images refer to themselves creating an aura of unease and horror. The same happens to the candle. Previously, when Oscar and Mimi were in love, these very same candles were lit romantically or satanically on the floor as Mimi danced like the seductress she is. The candle reappears on a mock birthday cake for Oscar. By this time, we have seen Mimi turning him into a cripple and getting her revenge. She has just returned after a night out, probably having slept with another man, leaving Oscar helpless and wetting himself. The candle is now an image of sarcasm, cruelty, revenge and reminds us of what had been. It is also a premonition of what happens when one plays with fire.
Images that Sell the story Before it starts
Polanski's second lesson is offering images that sell the story before it starts. Obviously this is only apparent after a second viewing of the film. Perhaps, this is what makes the film more intriguing, enough for one to wish to see it again. Perhaps this is what makes a film stand out and memorable.
The surreal and fantastic Fun Park is a betrayal that this is a fantastic and surreal story; One that cannot come true. Indeed Oscar is seen shooting a gun with great skill. Mimi will remember this and present him with a gun on his birthday. The one that he will use to kill her and himself. The bottom two images show how unreachable Mimi is for Nigel even if one has not seen the film. She is a sensual dancer and flirt; he is a proper boring gentleman. The image itself shows what a misfit couple they would make. Nonetheless, Nigel will pursue her in his dreams.
The Prop as a Reflection of The Story and its Characters
The gun becomes a focus. The Photo becomes a focus. However, the main player in this film is the razor. 
In Polanski's Bitter Moon Nightmare, I refer to Mimi as being the razor. She is this dangerous blade that will main and kill you whilst seducing you. It is very common for Polanski to have a pivotal prop that is telling a story in itself throughout the film. The Knife in the Water wielded by the hitchhiker is incomparable to the terror invoked by Mimi expertly twirling the razor. At the end however, the photo is turn, the razor Mimi that has just toyed with Nigel is now asleep. The only dangerous prop left is the gun.
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