Watch Flirting Scholar

Flirting Scholar is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Lee Lik-chi, starring Stephen Chow in the lead role as Tong Pak Fu. The movie is set in the early Qing dynasty, and it revolves around a young scholar named Tong Pak Fu, who gets in and out of trouble with his quick wit, intelligence and sense of humor. The film is loosely based on a popular novel by Liu Kezhuang, and it explores themes of love, ambition, class struggle, and identity.

The movie begins with Tong Pak Fu moving to the capital to take the imperial exams. However, he is not interested in studying and wants to have some fun instead. He comes across a group of wealthy and powerful women who are looking for a tutor for their daughters. Tong Pak Fu sees this as an opportunity to get closer to the women and learn more about society's upper echelons. He pretends to be a scholar and applies for the position of tutor.

Little does he know that he is going to face fierce competition from the other scholars and from the women's chief bodyguard, Master Wu (Pak-Cheung Chan), who is deeply suspicious of him. To make matters worse, Tong Pak Fu falls in love with one of the women he is supposed to tutor, a beautiful and intelligent young lady named Sai Yuk (Gong Li). Sai Yuk is engaged to a rich and arrogant merchant, but she cannot resist Tong Pak Fu's charms and wit.

As Tong Pak Fu starts teaching the daughters, he realizes that they are not interested in books and poetry but in martial arts and swords. They tell him that they want to learn martial arts so they can protect themselves from bandits and kidnappers. Tong Pak Fu sees this as a challenge and decides to teach them martial arts disguised as dance and poetry.

This leads to some of the movie's most hilarious scenes, as the girls and Tong Pak Fu perform choreographed fight sequences while reciting poetry. The scenes are shot with incredible energy and creativity, displaying Stephen Chow's talent for physical comedy and Gong Li's grace and beauty.

As the story progresses, Tong Pak Fu's relationship with Sai Yuk deepens, and he realizes that he loves her. However, he also knows that he cannot be with her because of their different social status. Tong Pak Fu is torn between his desire for love and his ambition for fame and fortune.

The movie's climax is a feast for the eyes and senses, as Tong Pak Fu and his girls face off against a group of bandits in a fantastic and acrobatic fight sequence. The movie ends on a bittersweet note, as Tong Pak Fu has to make a tough decision about his future.

Flirting Scholar is a delightful and entertaining film, which showcases Stephen Chow's comedic genius and Gong Li's stunning beauty and talent. The movie's themes of love, ambition, and class struggle are timeless and universal, and the humor is both sophisticated and silly. The film is a must-see for fans of Hong Kong cinema, and it is a prime example of the creativity and innovation that marked the golden era of Hong Kong film industry in the 80s and 90s.