Glenn Beck is stunned by the new film, “Cabrini.” It’s “one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen,” he says. But it also tells a story that all Americans should learn from, one of true “feminism,” and not the toxic leftist version that Hollywood pushes. Glenn discusses this with the film’s director, Alejandro Monteverde, whose previous film, “Sound of Freedom,” became a surprise box office sensation. Monteverde also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made and describes how he took influence from “The Godfather” and “Batman” to tell the story of a Catholic nun.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: If we were anywhere south of the border, this next to the best, I mean, I think I would probably have girls screaming outside of the windows going, oh, my gosh.

You talk to him!

Big, big star in South America and Mexico.

I will introduce him as only a white man can, as Alejandro Monteverde, which is not the way he would say it. But better than the way George Bush would say it. It would be like Alejandro.

Anyway, Alejandro, how are you, sir?

ALEJANDRO: How are you? Thank you for having me on your show. It's a great honor. And, by the way, I met George Bush, after -- you know, when he gave the State of the Union speech.

He picked two immigrants to get into this country, and I was one of them.

GLENN: Wow.

ALEJANDRO: He spoke. He did spoke like what you said.

GLENN: Alejandro was here.

Anyway, so, Alejandro, you are one of the great reasons we love immigrants. You are a guy, big, big star, all over South America, and Mexico.

And as an actor, but you have become, I believe, one of the best filmmakers, in the world.

I saw your movie Cabrini, when it was. I don't even know if it was locked down yet.

And halfway through, I said to one of the producers. I feel like I'm in the screening room with -- with the group that made the godfather.

You know, sitting next to --

ALEJANDRO: Wow. That is one of the most amazing compliments. Because when I worked with my cinematographer, that was one of the inspirations, the Godfather.

GLENN: I'm telling you, you guys nailed that. It is one of the most beautiful films I have seen. But not for an artsy reason.

It just captures a mood, like I've only seen in the godfather.

So you hit that.

The movie Cabrini. You're welcome. The movie Cabrini. Tell the story of St. Cabrini. Because a lot of people don't know her.

ALEJANDRO: Well, you know, just to short, to summarize, she was a warrior. She came here to America, in the late 1800s as an immigrant, a woman with nothing.

With a dream. With a big mission, to build hospitals, and -- and help those in need.

And the ultimate -- Amy Rockefeller, or Vanderbilt. Even though, at that time, when she arrived, she faced a lot of racism against the Italians, and discrimination.

But that's the beautiful (sic) of this country. That did not stop her from building one of the greatest hospitals that New York has ever seen.

GLENN: No.

And, actually, by the end of her life, I believe it was the largest hospital network in the world. I mean, it -- what she accomplished was amazing.

And she became an American shortly after she got here. A few years after she got here. But it shows a woman.

ALEJANDRO: She was an American. Then the first American saint. Which was also very powerful.

GLENN: Yeah. The way you have predicted her. Tell me about the lady who plays her. This movie, Cabrini, by the way. My highest, highest recommendation. This is an incredible movie. So inspirational.

So well-done.

This -- this will show you, how far independent films have come, from conservative media. This is -- you know, put out by Angel Films.

You remember how bad Christian movies were?

This is -- I wouldn't categorize it as a Christian movie.

It's just a movie about this wonderful Christian.

But it is brilliant.

So please, go see it. It's out tomorrow.

Anyway, tell me --

ALEJANDRO: Thank you. Thank you, first of all. It's truly an honor to -- coming from you.

It means a lot.

The reason we -- we -- you know, this is a woman that also divide death itself. Morality, every single day.

She was able to steal, literally decades of life.

They told her, she had two to three years to live.

She kept fighting and fighting.

Look at the amount of faith.

If somebody tells you, you have three years to live, but you have a dream that it will take you 20 years to make. That will put a lot of faith in yourself, to begin with. I needed an actress, that was able to have the power of her eyes from going from a loving eyes, love a child. That is abandoned to the streets, to -- to rapidly change, to have this defiant eyes, to defy all these challenges that were put in front of her.

You know, she fought all the way from the most dangerous criminal. The pain that was prosecuting little girls. To facing, you know, very powerful politicians.

GLENN: Right. And the pope.

I mean, the scene with the pope, where she's like, I'm going to seat pope. And everybody is keep her away from the pope. And he's finally like, I'm not going to mess with this woman. Go ahead. Send her in.

ALEJANDRO: Yeah. She fires me all the time. We take noes too easy nowadays. Somebody takes no, and walks away. She was able to convert a no to a yes. She was able to build bridges. To even be able to work with people that disagree with her.

That's what I think is the problem now, that so relevant to America. Because right now, we're such a divided country.

We should be able to work together, even though we're divided. And she understood that. That we don't have to agree.

But there's people dying outside.

You know, there's -- let's go and help.

And she lives her life for others.

GLENN: Can I go down, just an odd road, perhaps with you?

There was one point, where I leaned over to the producer.

And I said, that's Batman, looking over Gotham. Right?

ALEJANDRO: Yeah! She was wearing a cape. She was wearing a cape.

GLENN: Yes. Did I do these things?

Because there were several places, where I was like, that's a hero shot. That's a hero shot that I've seen. Did you intentionally do that?

ALEJANDRO: Yes. Everything was designed, very intentionally in this film because of COVID.

You know, this, we had to use COVID to our advantage. You know, the movie kept being pushed and pushed and pushed. So we used all that time to keep designing and designing, designing the subtext.

There's a lot of subtext in this film. She lives a very heroic life. She was wearing a cape. So we wanted to present her visually as a hero. As a hero that you see in Marvel movies. But she was a real hero.

GLENN: So well done.

And is it true that -- because I think this is what makes the movie so visually appealing, is it was meant to be shot in black and white, right.

And what happened?

ALEJANDRO: Yes. The whole time the movie was black and white. And when you shoot black and white, it allows you to become operatic. You know, Orson Wells. Citizen Kane. You know, all those films. It's a wonderful life. All those films. It allows you -- Orson Wells used to say, it is impossible, to have bad acting in black and white.

Black and white, allows you to do everything. But most importantly, the reason why I wanted to shoot it on black and white.

Was because she was wearing black. And I didn't want it getting in the way of her story.

Then I thought, well, everybody will be dressed like her.

Black and white. For the entire year and a half, I designed the movie black and white, which is very operatic. Very cinematic. Very orchestrated. Almost like if you're looking in a movie, on Broadway.

So -- and then a week before we started to shoot, Eustace Wolfington, who was the -- person behind -- behind all of this. I called it the Cabrini movement.

He flew in. And I said, well, he came in for two reasons. Either, he's firing me.

Or he's telling me, it's not going to be black and white. That is the only two reasons. Everything else, you can tell me on the phone. Why is he flying in to see me.

And it is the second one.

It's not going to be black and white.

But this point, I already designed the movie.

When you designed the movie for black and white. Like Citizen Kane.

You take a lot of creative licenses. And it was too late to go back.

And if -- you know, I didn't know if it would work. So when I finished the film.

I went into a deep, deep depression for two weeks.

Because I didn't know if this movie would work. Because I had shot it. Designed it from black and white. Would have shot it in color. Though, it was the most dark -- I went into a dark place for two weeks.

GLENN: Jeez.

ALEJANDRO: And then I saw the first cut, and I was like, oh, it worked!

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

ALEJANDRO: So it was a risk.

GLENN: It is the most visually stunning movie, that does not detract -- you know, sometimes people do it for art's sake. And blah, blah.

This is just visually stunning and helps tell the story.

I mean, Alejandro, you don't need this from me. But I truly believe, you are one of the -- if not the best director around today, you are going to be legendary. I believe. And it's just a matter of -- it's just a matter of time.

You are just -- it's brilliant.

ALEJANDRO: Truly. Because we've been in a fight.

And I want -- you know, I've never heard that. And more coming from you, it's shaking my heart.

But I want to say something. You know this very well.

You know, if we don't -- if we don't have the big billboards. You know, we're competing against Dune.

So the only way a movie like this can survive, is if enough weekend people will see it, otherwise we'll be kicked out of theaters. So I cannot tell you how important it is, that people come out on opening weekend. Because they are our billboards. The billboards is the word-of-mouth. People coming out of the theaters and sharing their experience, their cinematic experience with audiences. You know, our audiences are the billboards.

GLENN: Well, I will tell you, I saw it in a studio projection room, and I went home. And I've been telling my family about this movie ever since. And we will all be in the movie theater, tomorrow.

I can't wait to see it again.

It is so good.

ALEJANDRO: Thank you so much.

I can wait for you. There are two or three -- I wonder if you'll be able to spot them. I think you will, by the way.

GLENN: Yeah. Alejandro, thank you so much.

And keep up the good work.

You are fantastic. Really, and Cabrini is a piece of -- really, a piece of art. It really is.

ALEJANDRO: And I'm so grateful. So grateful for your support. But thank you so much.

GLENN: You bet. Alejandro Monteverde.

Filmmaker, and I really mean this.

I think he is -- he's going to be remembered with all of the greats. I have been a fan of his, when he started making smaller movies.

And he made Little Boy, which I thought was just fantastic, captured the spirit of America in World War II like very few people can do. And he also is responsible for the -- the Sound of Freedom. And now Cabrini. And this is amazing, and a great, uplifting story. You will just love it.

Find it at a theater. Like he said, this weekend, is really important. Because they -- the reason why Sound of Freedom Know did well is because more movie theaters open up. On the opening weekend, if they have a big opening weekend, then more theaters will go, you know what, I'll give that a try. And if you don't support these things, on the opening weekend, and you will -- just go to support filmmakers. We have come from really bad movies, to brilliant, brilliant pieces of work.

And this is the best I've seen from a conservative. And it's one of the best I've seen from anyone.

It's called Cabrini. See it this weekend.