La vida no vale nada (1955)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Rogelio A. González

Writers:

Janet Alcoriza (writer)
Luis Alcoriza (writer)

Release Date:

4 May 1955 (Mexico)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Melodrama | Emigration | Labor | Peasant

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Pedro Infante	...	Pablo Galván
Rosario Granados	...	Cruz
Domingo Soler	...	Leandro
Magda Guzmán	...	Silvia
Wolf Ruvinskis	...	Caimán
Hortensia Santoveña	...	Mamá de Pablo
Manuel Dondé	...	Carmelo
Aurora Ruiz	...	Teo
Nacho Contla	...	Pánfilo (as Ignacio Contla)
Dolores Tinoco	...	Mamá Irene
Lilia Prado	...	Martha

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Tepeyac, S. A.

The Great Pedro Infante in an Episodic Uneven Film

Completed only a few years before the end of his short life, "La Vida No Vale Nada" earned Pedro Infante a Silver Ariel for Mexico's best male performance of 1955. Infante remains the primary reason to see this episodic, somewhat disjointed film. The Mexican star plays Pablo, an illiterate, alcoholic drifter, who has bouts with the bottle and interludes with several women of varying character: a loving widow, a generous professional, his saintly mother, and his father's lusty mistress. While attractive, Infante does not have stereotypical movie-star looks and is convincing as a common man who struggles with existence. Women play a significant role in Pablo's life and offer him redemption, love, and sex, for which he seems to offer little in return. Although he reunites with his mother, he bonds most closely with his beachcomber father, whose destiny he seems fated to follow.

Fortunately, the movie offers opportunities for Infante to sing, and his voice, rich and velvety in tone, provides another reason to see the film. In two scenes, however, the actor sings while he is supposedly intoxicated. Although enjoyable, these sequences are somewhat incredible because his enunciation and notes are perfect despite his inebriation. That a good-looking man with such a rich voice would have to scratch out a living with odd jobs also stretches the plot's believability.

Although others in the cast perform well, the film is Infante's show, and his charm supports its weaker sections. Rogelio Gonzalez's direction is competent, although the transitions from episode to episode at times leave the viewer wondering if scenes were edited out. The IMDb plot outline for this film bears no relation to "La Vida No Vale Nada" and must refer to another film with the same title. Despite its flaws, this often-entertaining film is a showcase for the talents of one of Mexico's greatest stars. Although the movie is not worthy of his talents, "La Vida No Vale Nada" provides a showcase for the dramatic and vocal skills of the great Pedro Infante.