"Nacho Libre"

[birds chirping]

How did you find me here?

I saw you from the village.

[birds chirping]

[car horn wails]

[kid speaks in foreign language]

[dog barking]

[speaks in foreign language]

[Richard] I'm Richard Brody,

and this clip is from Nacho Libre,

a comedy directed by Jared Hess, from 2006.

It stars Jack Black, as Ignacio,

a Monk in an orphanage, in Mexico.

He finds that he can make money

if he engages in Lucha Libre.

Free wrestling.

A kind of, very theatrical style of combat.

It's popular in Mexico.

The main spring of the story is a Nun, Sister Encarnación,

who comes to the monastery.

And, with whom Ignacio immediately falls in love.

[Nacho yells]

This is a comedy,

and it's a goofy comedy.

But, it's fundamentally a religious meditation.

In fact, a call for Catholic Protestant reconciliation.

Ignacio himself is the son of a Protestant,

and a Catholic.

He makes a joke about it.

But, in fact,

the director, Jared Hess,

seems to be suggesting that on the one hand,

monasteries, convents, other forms of religious retreats

are terrific ideas.

That's where the Catholic's have it right.

But, on the other hand,

nuns and monks should be able to marry,

because their children would be

the most exemplary Christian's of all.

In this scene,

Nacho, Ignacio, who has lost a major bout,

and has been kicked out of the monastery

for his wrestling,

goes off to the wilderness to meditate,

and to fight with his personal demons.

It's a remarkable comic transformation

of the legend of Saint Anthony.

♪ I hear the voices ♪

♪ And what they tell ♪

♪ About heaven ♪

♪ About hell ♪

[Nacho yells]

♪ About the life ♪

♪ We know so well ♪

[thwack] ♪ Have to throw away ♪

♪ Holy man ♪

♪ Holy man ♪

♪ Lord knows ♪

♪ I am a holy man ♪

[uplifting music]