MovieChat Forums > El apando (1976) Discussion > has anyone read this book?

has anyone read this book?

posted 19 years ago by w8a2nd7
2 replies | jump to latest

I have to read this book and write a report on it. I haven't watched the movie yet, but I'm attempting to read this book. I'm on page 25 and it's quite difficult for me to understand. Thus far, I'm not sure if this is correct, but there are three prisoners, Albino, Polonio, and El Carajo? And the mother of, I think El Carajo is more liked by the guards than the other mothers. So they ask her to take the drugs in to the prison? And then I get to a sex scene and there is mention of lesbianism ... I'm lost ... can anyone help me? Thank you for your time.

[–] Xcalat3 15 years ago

no, but the Movie is brilliant

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 14 years ago

There are three inmates punished in "El apando" (Total isolation). Albino, Apolonio and "El carajo". They all are drug addicts. Albino and Apolonio have the idea about using the mother of "El carajo" in order to bring them the drug they so desperately "need". They (the inmates) knew the police wouldn't check the granny as extensively as they would check their girlfriends. This, because the mother is an older woman, hence the police would respect her.
She agrees on the condition that Albino and Apolonio should treat her son better.
BTW, yes, the police woman in charge of "checking" the intimate parts of the women who visits the inmates, was more than likely a lesbian that used her possition to humiliate other women.

All that is based on what José Revueltas witnessed or/and based on what he heard from other inmates during his years in prison in the infamous "Palacio Negro de Lecumberri". Nowadays right there is located the "Archivo General de la Nación" (National Archive of Mexico), obviously the jail was shut down (in 1976).

BTW I am agree, this is a terrific if rather bleak movie. One of Cazals' best films.