Page - 157 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

Encarnación out at night, supposedly so that they can “preach the gospel” – itself an act more commonly associated with Mormonism than (contemporary) Catholicism – to some “bums” he found on the street. In a wink at the fixed na- ture of lucha libre matches,60 Nacho has actually asked Steven to bring a threat- ening, though fake, mob so that he can appear to bravely protect Encarnación and thus win her love. Nacho, ostensibly in an attempt to find the men they will teach, moves ahead and leans on a corner building. In reality, he wants an ex- cuse to model for her. He awkwardly points his butt in Encarnación’s direction, and when she tells him that his clothes look expensive, he replies, “underneath the clothes you find the man”. He tries to save face when he realizes what he has said by continuing nonsensically: “underneath the man you find the … nu- cleus”. Shortly afterwards, Nacho erroneously identifies two men as the people that Steven has agreed to bring. He picks a fight with them, but they beat him to the ground. This scene produced comedy gold for both Jack Black and Jared Hess, but beyond getting a laugh from the audience, it also explicitly ties Na- cho’s frustrations and marginalization to his religion. His vows of celibacy have created what the film frames as an unreasonable hurdle for finding true love. Because he is a friar, most of the women that he meets are nuns who have also made vows of celibacy. Thus, his religious circumstances have created an environment of sexual frustration, but they have also made it so he only inter- acts with women who will not appreciate his advances. Nacho eventually re- alizes that he should not put Encarnación in uncomfortable situations, but his infatuation continues. During one of the most popular scenes in the film, Nacho spontaneously breaks into song about his love for Encarnación while in the lock- er room awaiting his match with Ramses. One verse is especially interesting: “To kiss your mouth/ I’d break my vow/ no, no, no/ no, no, no way, José/ unless you want to/ then we’d break our vows together.” Nacho has decided that he would leave his life in the ministry to pursue a relationship with Encarnación; however, he will also respect her own commitment to her vows. He now hopes to win her love and convince her to abandon life in the convent for the chance to marry – and presumably raise a family – with him. At no point does the direc- tor explicitly denounce Catholic teachings regarding celibacy and religious lead- ership, but his satirical approach reverberates within Mormon thought. Much of the film’s success among Mormons reflects the fact that Nacho’s (thwarted) love life resonated with LDS viewers who believe that this particular problem could not occur within their own religious tradition.61 60 Levi 2008, xvi. 61 Much of Hess’s success with Mormon audiences comes from the fact that the community upholds his work as some of the best ever produced by someone of their ilk. In the days leading up to Nacho Libre’s release, for example, the local Utah radio station KSL published a story about Nacho Libre’s BYU and Mormon ties. See High Expectations 2006. Over a decade after On (Dang) Quesadillas and Nachos | 157www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 141–165