Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Wolfgang Peterson has shown he can direct a suspenseful and kinetic movie with "Das Boot," a splendid evocation of life inside a crowded steel tube. His work since then has been spotty, more commercial than I'd have hoped. This movie is an improvement. I'd expected a thorough condemnation of everything about the People's Republic of China, especially given Richard Gere's devotion to Tibet. Yet, if this is occasionally clunky and confusing, it's still not bad. I found it engaging.The narrative follows Gere who is framed for the murder of a beautiful model in Beijing and by dint of sheer determination on the part of himself, whom the court in the person of the grim battle ax behind the bench insists on calling "the Accused Moore", and on the part of his court-appointed defense counsel, Bai Ling, who begins as an ordinary uninterested subject with the PRC boot on her neck, and gradually warms up to Gere and procedural due process, the chemistry between them can best be described as "two people." I said it was engaging. One of the reasons it's engaging is the appearance and performance of Bai Ling as Gere's public defender. She is one alluring young lady. Imagine if Audrey Hepburn had been born in China instead of the Netherlands. Yum. She so petite and delicate it seems as if any rough house might break one of her long bones. Since joining the global community, China has come up with a string of colorful movies and equally colorful actresses -- Gong Li to Bai Ling. Gere gives one of his better performances. He manages to convincingly project terror and that's not his strong suit as an actor. I like Richard Gere though. He was my co-star in the unforgettable, umm, wait, it will come to me -- YES, "No Mercy." He had a little trouble with some of his scenes but I helped him out.So basically it's a tale of two stalwarts against the rules of a rigid and ruthless culture in which the best way to avoid execution is to plead guilty to murder. It's not exactly a courtroom drama though, nor a prison tale. Gere manages to escape and jump clumsily from one rooftop to another while being chased by mean-looking Chinese cops. I had a feeling that Peterson had left this scene in, though only weakly justified, for fear the audience might be getting impatient at having to listen to all that Mandarin Chinese, much of it with no subtitles. I certainly got impatient listening to Mandarin when I had to take a class in it.The courtroom scenes are especially bewildering because, first, they didn't make much sense to me, and second, the climactic scene is so agitated and noisy. Something to do with a general and a package of American television programs with which Gere intended to pollute Sinitic culture. And not even a nod in the direction of General Tso's chicken. Yes, disappointing.Still, the scene of parting between Gere and Ling at the airport is handled with affection and given a silky texture, as of a Chinese robe, with the emotional content muted and no kiss in sight. It reminded me of the climax of "Casablanca" -- "Where I go, you can't follow," and so on, except here the gender roles are reversed. Overall, it's not badly done.

Recently watched this movie on Netflix, and was pleasantly surprised. This is a very good movie and deserves to be rated higher on IMDb. I've watched many movies that are rated in the 6-7 range, and this one does not belong in that category! I am not a Richard Gere fan - as a matter of fact I even rooted for Bruce Willis in the Jackal... but I was definitely impressed with Richard Gere in this one... He is probably far outside his comfort zone in this role, and has done an excellent job. But the real star of the show is Ling Bhai. She has delivered an outstanding performance. I gather that only a few shots were actually shot in China, but you don't get that feeling while watching the film - you feel like the film was actually shot in China... I am not sure of the accuracy of the portrayal of the judicial process in China, but was it was refreshing to see something other than what we are all so used to with Law and Order. Overall, I recommend this movie. While it is not in the same league as "Primal Fear", it is definitely worth a watch... and it will keep you engaged for the entire film.

"In modern-day China, an American is about to be punished for the ultimate crime… his innocence. Richard Gere stars in this electrifying suspense thriller charged with lethal confrontations, raw passion and international intrigue. On the verge of signing a huge business deal, attorney Jack Moore (Gere) is on top of the world. But, his elation soon comes tumbling down after he spends the night with a beautiful woman… and is then accused of her brutal murder!" according to the film's official synopsis."At the mercy of the strict Chinese court system - where one is guilty until proved innocent - Jack finds himself completely alone. But, when his defense attorney (Bai Ling) unearths puzzling contradictions in the case, she acts against the court and her country, joining him in a pulse-pounding race to find the true killer… while both of their lives hang in the balance!" Their pulses may pound, but you might need to check your's during most of this competently made, but unfortunately implausible and dullish, film.**** Red Corner (10/31/97) Jon Avnet ~ Richard Gere, Bai Ling, Byron Mann

This movie is a horrible movie. The setting is totally wrong and ridiculous. The characters wore the clothes from wrong years and spoke weird language that will make any Chinese native speaker laugh. I kind of think the director may never visit china and just shoot the movie from some wrongful reading or whoever gave the money. Anyone who believe this movie is real or good should visit china personally and see it with their own eyes. Although it is 10 years ago, you can still have a better feeling and know how some lies can be so contagious and outrageous. I don't object movies with a strong political opinion. This movie is just too out of line and relay wrong impression on innocent people all over the world. It is not only unfair to Chinese people but to other people who is not familiar with China.