Culture Shocker

By Doug Levy
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 6, 1997

Photo courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
Jack (Richard Gere, center) and his court-appointed defense advocate, Yuelin (Bai Ling) face a courtroom with no presumption of innocence in "Red Corner."

O.J. Simpson doesn't realize how good he had it. He could complain all day about not getting a fair trial, but if he had been arrested for the same crime in China, he would have been dead within a week. Shot in the back of the head, execution style, with full government sanction. In the Chinese courts, innocence is not presumed, and the rule is "Leniency for those who confess. Severity for those who resist." This is the position that Jack Moore, portrayed by Richard Gere, has to face in "Red Corner," a film about a man falsely accused of murder, forced to confront both the legal system and the corruption of the Chinese government.

While normally the very phrase "courtroom thriller" should be a sure sign to avoid the theater at all costs, and inspire a fit of dart-throwing at photos of John Grisham, the fact that it is not the American legal system (and the formulaic stories airplane novelists derive from it) that we're dealing with here makes "Red Corner" a different story.

So different, in fact, that it's been banned by the Chinese government.

Due to its negative portrayal of contemporary life in Beijing and the numerous questions it raises regarding human rights, "Red Corner" is an extremely relevant and timely (and, in China, controversial) film. It is no coincidence that its release coincided with President Jiang's visit to the U.S. And it's certainly of note that while Jiang met with President Clinton, the film's star, Gere, was close by, leading a protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Gere himself has not been permitted in China for over three years due to his protest involvement. He's not the only thing that's not permitted there either. The amount of filming they were able to actually do for the film in China, even without Gere, was extremely minimal. Footage of co-star Bai Ling, who plays Moore's lawyer, riding a bicycle in Tiananmen Square was shot "at considerable risk to her," according to director Jon Avnet.

The accuracy of the film, in spite of only limited access to actual locations and Chinese officials, is incredible. The recreation of a Beijing hutong, a tightly compressed group of buildings and streets, seems amazingly real, and there is never a moment where it seems as if the filming didn't actually take place in Asia. One of the techniques used to create verisimilitude was the combining of local film footage with photographic stills from Beijing as a background, combined with the help of computers, for a perfect effect.

The social aspect is aided by the fact that over half of the film's cast is made up of Chinese actors, many of whom didn't even speak English. Through extensive research and the access to the knowledge of both Gere and Ling, it was meticulously insured that nothing was misrepresented.

There is, however, a gaping plot hole in "Red Corner." At one point, Moore, with freedom in sight, makes a completely unexplainable and unjustifiable decision - one that allows the continuation of the movie toward a resolution, but takes away from it at the same time.

But, while the reasons behind Moore's dilemma may be a bit contrived, and there is that "Why did he do that?" moment, this film is still well worth seeing. See it for the insight into another culture and for its current social relevance. See it for the amazing set direction, the often jarring visuals and sound. See it for the excitement and suspense. And see it because it could happen to you.