The film received several awards from the adult film associations, at the time of its release and again in the 21st century:
- 1991 Adam Film World Awards for Best Film, Best director, Best cinematography, and Best music;
- 1991 XRCO Award (given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization) for Best Film of the Year, and XRCO Hall of Fame;
- 1992 Adult Video News Award for Best Film of The Year;
- 2003 Adult Video News Award for Best Classic Release;
- 2005 Adult Video News Honor, AVN 500 Greatest Adult Films.
A three-page illustrated movie review by Jeremy Stone was published in the Classics Corner, "XXX Movies Illustrated", vol.6 no.1, August 1991. He reported that nobody had predicted the film «to become one of the most highly rated, roundly praised, and recent entry into most critics' list of the Ten Best Adult Films of All Time».