Chinese superstar Gong Li rose to fame as the muse of China’s Fifth Generation directors, starring in art-house classics such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine.
But during the 1990s, she found time to make a batch of lesser-known commercial films in Hong Kong. Below, we revisit a few of her most noteworthy outings in the city.
1. Flirting Scholar (1993)
Gong had appeared with superstar comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi once before, in a dual role in 1991’s God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai. But audiences were still intrigued by their return pairing for this spoof of the well-known Ming dynasty tale of artist and poet Tang Bohu.
Chow’s scatological approach to humour was then at an all-time high. How would the refined and serious-minded Gong, who had quickly become an international art-house star, deal with his penchant for lowbrow antics and crude gags?
