Nobody's Child (1960)
Reviewed by: hkcinema on 1999-12-08
One of the best films by veteran Bu Wancang, made in the lastphase of his Hong Kong career. It is a moving film version of Hector Malot's ALONE IN THE WORLD (its uncredited inspiration) about the orphan girl Xiao Mei (the role was Siao Fong Fong's breakthrough) who is adopted by an old street entertainer. The two cross the country accompanied by a monkey and three dogs who complement the street theatre group. When the man is thrown in jail after a fight, the girl is left alone. She finds shelter with a woman who is looking for company for her bed-ridden daughter. She leaves them as soon as the old man is released from jail and the two set out on another journey through the snow-covered landscape. Kuer liulang ji, partly shot in Japan, has the characteristics of the old Shanghai masters: virtually no close-ups and emphasis for naturalistic acting."

[Reviewed by Anonymous]