Search - Red Corner on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 04/29/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 2 mins Studio: MGM Total Copies: 13 Genres: Drama, Courtroom Drama, Political Drama

The strong anti-China beliefs of actor and political activist Richard Gere were evident in this Hitchcockian thriller that sought to expose the civil and human rights abuses of that country's legal system. Gere stars as Jack Moore, counsel to a large media conglomerate seeking to open trade relations with China, thereby delivering American television shows by satellite to the largest untapped market in the world. After an evening out at a nightclub and fashion show, Jack goes home with a beautiful model (Jessey Meng), then wakes up the next morning to discover her dead body. To his horror, Jack is accused of murdering the girl, who is revealed to have been the daughter of a high-ranking general. Assigned a court-appointed lawyer, Shen Yuelin (Bai Ling), Jack discovers that the repressive Chinese court system does not grant bail, encourages quick guilty pleas and executions, and looks upon him with disfavor for his Western moral turpitude. Finally persuading Shen that he's innocent, Jack and his lawyer embark on an investigation impeded at every turn by Chinese authorities, eventually uncovering a plot to discredit Jack and his company's entry into China. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Richard Gere - Jack Moore
Bai Ling - Shen Yuelin
Bradley Whitford - Bob Ghery
Byron Mann - Lin Dan
Peter Donat - David McAndrews

Cynics might suggest that Jon Avnet's courtroom thriller Red Corner was just a vehicle for star Richard Gere's outspoken criticisms of China. MGM's DVD does at least reveal more substance and purpose to the film than might otherwise have been assumed. The anamorphic transfer to disc is excellent, with plenty of detail and consistent sharpness, even in the grim confines of the Chinese prison where Gere's wrongly accused businessman spends most of the film. The Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound is similarly outstanding, with one of Red Corner's better qualities, its sinister music, rendered with depth and clarity. Included on the disc are some thorough production notes and the original theatrical trailer. The latter is good but rather misleading, as it promises a good deal more action and excitement than is actually delivered in the movie. Avnet provides a creditable feature commentary, in which he objectively describes China's social, judicial, and political structure, and also reveals the surprising amount of CGI used in the film. Red Corner would probably rank as a disappointment to all but loyal Gere fans, but this is a worthy DVD edition of the film. ~ Patrick Lee, All Movie Guide