Praised for its portrayal of the downtrodden in Shanghai at the time of its release, “Street Angel” is considered a classic of China’s leftist filmmaking period.  Two sisters, Xiao Hong (the singer Zhou Xuan) and Xiao Yun (Zhao Huishen) have fled the war in Northeast China to Shanghai, and are living under the brutal thumb of their landlords. Xiao Yun has already been forced into prostitution and her sister is a teahouse singer. When they learn that the landlords plan to sell Xiao Hong to a wealthy patron, they seek help from a neighourhood street musician and his ragtag band of friends.