Red Corner (1997)

Director:

Jon Avnet

Writer (WGA):

Robert King (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Severity for those who resist.

Plot:

An American attorney on business in China, ends up wrongfully on trial for murder and his only key to innocence is a female defense lawyer from the country.

Plot Keywords:

China | Murder | Law | Frame Up | English Subtitles In Original

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Gere	...	Jack Moore
Ling Bai	...	Shen Yuelin
Bradley Whitford	...	Bob Ghery
Byron Mann	...	Lin Dan
Peter Donat	...	David McAndrews
Robert Stanton	...	Ed Pratt
Tsai Chin	...	Chairman Xu
James Hong	...	Lin Shou
Tzi Ma	...	Li Cheng
Ulrich Matschoss	...	Gerhardt Hoffman
Richard Venture	...	Ambassador Reed
Jessey Meng	...	Hong Ling
Roger Yuan	...	Huan Minglu
Chi Yu Li	...	General Hong
Henry O	...	Procurator General Yang

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | DTS-Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Mexico:B | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Avnet/Kerner Productions

Trivia:

For the scene in which Gere's character is intimidated with video of a government execution, the filmmakers used actual execution footage that had been smuggled out of China.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the very beginning of the film, the little girl looks up at the sky and blocks out the sun with her hand. But it is totally obvious that she is blocking out nothing, for there is no shadow of her hand across her eyes.

Quotes:

Jack Moore: Why did you risk your life for me if you didn't believe me?
Shen Yuelin: I always assumed the worst about you. I've never questioned. I have always accepted things. It is the same as when I was a child.
Jack Moore: What?
Shen Yuelin: I was blind, I was mute.
Jack Moore: When you were a child, it was during the Cultural Revolution, wasn't it?
Shen Yuelin: Yes.
Jack Moore: What is it?
Shen Yuelin: I went to school, until they closed down and everything went mad. I do not know if you could understand this, Jack Moore.
Jack Moore: Try me.
Shen Yuelin: I... I watched... I watched my father be humiliated, and I said nothing. I watched my father be spat on, I did nothing. I even watched my classmates pour black ink over his head, one after another and after another. What did I do? I hid my head in shame while he was dragged away. I never questioned. I was blind. I'm very sorry that I did not believe your innocence. But now, I do. I do.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Observe & Report/Gigantic/Hannah Montana: The Movie (#1.7)" (2009)

A strong and enjoyable film, sadly overlooked.

This is a very well written and directed film with good locations and very good acting. The discourse on the Chinese approach to justice and the potential for corruption in their state-centered society is sharp and, from my experience, accurate. It is delivered as part of an entertaining story with very strong performances by the leads. I like Richard Gere in this, as I do Ling Bai's performance. Their chemistry attracts the viewer and helps us through the difficult issues the film addresses. A must see.