''Pura Vida '', sometimes known as ''¡Pura vida!'', is a Mexican film released in 1956. The film is notable for popularizing the phrase ''pura vida'', particularly in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Plot

The film follows the story of Melquiades Ledezma, who is expelled from his home town after being labeled a source of bad luck. Misfortune finds him in his new home when he is accused of robbery and intentionally starting fires. His unlucky streak ends when he finds a winning lottery ticket of a million

pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...

Production

The film was directed by

Gilberto Martínez Solares Mario Gilberto Agustin Martinez Solares (January 19, 1906 – January 18, 1997) was a Mexican director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and actor who is considered one of the most prolific filmmakers in Mexican cinema having directed more than ...

and filmed in 1955. The film runs for 90 minutes.

Partial cast

Antonio Espino José Antonio Hipólito Espino Mora (13 August 1910 – 24 November 1993), better known as ''Clavillazo'' (Great Little Nail) was a Mexican comedic actor who was mostly popular during the 1940s to the 1960s. History His catchphrases were "''"¡P ...

as Melquiades Ledezma *

Carmelita González Carmelita González (July 11, 1928 – April 30, 2010) was a Mexican lead actress known for her film roles during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She appeared in nearly 100 Mexican films during her career, opposite such actors as Mario Moreno ...

as Lucía *

Maricruz Olivier María de la Cruz Olivier Obergh (September 19, 1933 – October 10, 1984), known professionally as Maricruz Olivier, was a Mexican actress of film, television, and theater. She is best remembered for starring in the 1959 version of the tele ...

as Esperanza *

Ramón Valdés Ramón Antonio Esteban Gómez Valdés y Castillo (2 September 1923 – 9 August 1988) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Don Ramón. He is also recognized as one of Mexico's best comedians. Born in Mex ...

as Caimán

Legacy

Despite his constant blunders, Melquiades Ledezma keeps a positive attitude. As an adjective synonymous with "good" or "nice", he uses ''pura vida'' (lit. pure life) a total of thirteen times to describe people (such as the town mayor), objects (food and earrings) and an action (being invited for a meal). This optimistic response began to be emulated by some

Costa Ricans Costa Ricans ( es, Costarricenses), also called Ticos, are the citizens of Costa Rica, a multiethnic, Spanish-speaking nation in Central America. Costa Ricans are predominantly Castizos, other ethnic groups people of Indigenous, European, Africa ...

after the film's release in that country. Although used since the late 1950s in Costa Rica, wide adoption of the phrase seems to have been spurred by the comparison of quality of life in Costa Rica with the rest of Central America in the 1980s. In modern Costa Rica, the phrase has many meanings and can be used as a greeting, farewell, thank you, and to show admiration for an object, situation or person. The phrase has come to embody the character of Costa Rica.

References

External links