Sarai la mia bambina

In the films of Hark Bohm children always played a central part and this film is no exception, though I can not recollect that so young a child was ever the subject in his films. Hark Bohm will never make the headlines with producing a earth shaking masterpiece, but his films are always reliable for their tenderness and humanity.

This film too is very moving and comic, tender but unsentimental, though this time the story is a bit on the thin side, artificial and rather stretched out. The film concerns the tug-of-war about the adoptive 6 year old Marie. It is hard to make out whether Bohn had any deeper meaning with the film, more than an entertaining one. If so than this aspect (claim of right on an adopted child by the natural mother) should be considered not to work as the character of the "natural" mother is that extreme that it can hardly be called representative. On the other hand: it is clear from the start with whom Bohn's sympathies lie.

Whatever the weak points of the script these are fully compensated by Bohn's direction of the cast and pacing and last but not least by the extraordinary performance by 6 (?) year old Lili Bohm (as Maria), I suppose that this is a grand-daughter of Hark Bohm. Lili steals the viewer's heart from the first time she is on the screen and plays her part very natural and Bohm avoids her becoming a Hollywood-cutie; she is just a beautiful and intelligent lady and the only one who tries to keep her head cool. The supporting cast is okay as well.

In view of the story and the film's gruesome ending I would like to point out that the film is not meant for children of Maria's age.