Nacho Libre Religion

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Recommended: How religion affects everyday life

The religion we follow has an extraordinary impact on how we live our lives. For those who work under their god, such as priests, nuns, and imams, the impact can be ever larger. In the movie Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black, a young monastery chef named Nacho struggles to nourish the children of the monastery orphanage because the grocery budget is so low. To combat this struggle, Nacho begins competing as a Luchador wrestler and hopes to gain the love and affection of a gorgeous nun, named Sister Encarnacion, with his impressive wrestling skills. Unfortunately for him, this profession is highly frowned upon by his monastery and he has to keep his second job a secret from not only his superiors but from the children as well. Contrary to what viewers may initially think, Nacho’s devotion to God has such a profound affect on him that it forces him into a moral dilemma and nearly ruins his love life. I chose this movie because it addresses the impact of religion in such a subtle way. Most …show more content…

Additionally, it provides viewers with insight into the world of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling. The movie displays the elaborate costumes of Luchador wrestlers and juxtaposes it against the simple dress of the religious officials in the monastery. This helps viewers see how different the two cultures are and heightens their sense of sympathy with Nacho because they can clearly see how hard it must be to balance his double life. The monastery allows him to be close to God and feel God’s love but it also forces him to deal with judgement and guilt. In some people’s eyes he is sinning but in Nacho’s eyes he is being selfless and good hearted. I hope other viewers can see the deeper meaning behind this movie and see his religious dilemma and the complexity of his situation rather than focusing on the slapstick comedy and poorly executed

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