Starring Richard Gere and Bai Ling Directed by Jon Avnet Rated R, with violence, profanity and nudity Running time 119 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 7 out of 10

(Oct. 31, 1997) -- Jack Moore goes to sleep after a dreamy evening, during a business trip to China.

He awakens to a nightmare. The beautiful woman he met and bedded the night before is dead in a pool of blood, and he is facing murder charges in one of the most ruthless judicial systems on the planet.

That's the premise of Red Corner, an engrossing courtroom thriller with handsome gray-haired Richard Gere as the entangled businessman. And while the film focuses on Jack Moore's trial, it is really the legal structure and restrictive government of China that comes under the gavel.

Jack is dragged into court before he is able to meet with any lawyer, and he is shocked when the court-appointed Chinese attorney enters a perfunctory guilty plea.

It seems such pleas are advised in China because those who confess to crimes might be spared execution; those who resist are summarily shot within four hours of conviction.

But Jack is convinced he did nothing to harm the young woman, and resents the implication that he might have been drunk or temporarily insane. He insists he be allowed to enter a not-guilty plea.

Jack's attorney (Bai Ling) reluctantly agrees -- and soon finds herself believing more and more of Jack's story. That's when Red Corner moves into the heart of the narrative -- the increasingly respectful relationship that develops between the U.S. businessman and the Chinese attorney.

The attorney -- Shen Yuelin -- is a capable and concerned young woman who harbors resentment for the way her father was treated during China's Cultural Revolution, and feels guilt that she's remained silent about injustice.

Director Jon Avnet (of Fried Green Tomatoes and Up Close and Personal) bring polish and energy to the project, along with a presumed appreciation for Chinese culture.

Richard Gere's outspoken support of Tibetan independence has made him persona non grata in China, so most of the film's Beijing setting had to be duplicated on sets in California. Seamless visual effects help create the illusion that the film was made in China.

Note, for example, how Gere appears to be in a car in Tiananmen Square in the film's opening sequence. It's a camera trick.

Red Corner is at its best as it explores the differences between American and Chinese cultures, and between our judicial systems. The intriguing relationship between Jack and Yuelin also is appealing.

Less successful is the murder mystery at the core of the courtroom drama. Since we are sure Jack is being framed, we must look elsewhere for guilt. There aren't enough alternatives, so most viewers won't be surprised at the denouement.

Richard Gere is clearly engaged by the role and the project; he was probably thrilled to tackle on film a government he has long fought in real life.

Gere perfectly conveys Jack's assured aura as a businessman, his confusion and frustration at his arrest, and his growing conviction and strength as a fighter against the system in the courtroom.

Equally impressive is Bai Ling. She depicts Shen Yuelin as a clever attorney who becomes an increasingly impassioned fighter for the rights of her American client.