Latino Review was
extended an invitation to visit the set of Nacho
Libre, an upcoming film to star Jack Black
and follow-up for Jared Hess, director of cult phenomenon Napoleon
Dynamite. The story centers around the titular Nacho, an orphanage
cook and priest in training who dons a secret identity as a
luchador (Mexican wrestler) to raise money for the little ones.
A man of the cloth by day, a fearless fighter by night, the
story follows the birth of his legend.
The movie is being
filmed in Oaxaca, Mexico and, as I was the only contributor
equipped with a passport, I won the gig. I was met at the hotel
Monday morning by publicist, and pretty much all around oracle
for the shoot, Jean Marie Murphy. After a half hour drive through
the city, we arrived on set. Now, as this was my first time
visiting an actual film production, I was blown away by everything
that caught my eye, no matter how mundane. My jaw dropped as
I scanned the cast and crew trailers lined along the gravelly
dirt road. My heart skipped a beat as I spied a prop team hammering
nails into a wooden framework for a backdrop. I let out a depressingly
feminine gasp as I noticed the Spanish labeled port-a-potties.
Like I said, easily impressed.
Imagine then, how
I felt when I first saw Jack Black. Standing in front of his
trailer puffing on a smoke, Jean Marie introduced us. While
brief, it was a feeling and a half to walk away knowing I’d
just shook hands with half of Tenacious D. Unfortunately, JB
wasn’t filming any scenes this particular day. If there
was any initial disappointment, however, it faded away the moment
we arrived at the Arena Oaxaca.
While my experience
with lucha libre is limited, I imagine that walking onto the
arena set has to be as close as you can get to the real thing.
The set designers gutted a warehouse and aligned stadium seats
along each wall. Plastered to the stone walls were old, yellowing
posters promoting famous wrestlers, bullfights and cervezas.
Packing the seats captured in the shots was an army of over
375 extras, all citizens of Oaxaca, and all hand-picked by Jared
Hess. The story takes place in the seventies and each one of
these people were outfitted to coincide wit this time and place.
To create the illusion of smoke from spectators’ cigarettes
and cigars, as would have been allowed in those days, a prop
man blew a mist of fog around the shots with a portable fan.
Finally, dead center in the large enclosure, was the ring. A
monster of blue canvas where the blood, sweat and tears of these
characters will be spilled. Just as I was getting caught up
in the spectacle of it all, I was brought back to reality by
Jean Marie. It was time to go a few rounds with Nacho Libre
himself…
