The music from Zorba the Greek has been much imitated its become a cliché of a certain part of Greek life and strips the film and the novel it is based on part of its underlying dark themes.
I was surprised that the film was based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, author of The Last Temptation of Christ. Knowing that I knew in an instance that this was going to be more than some cod Greek feel good drama/comedy.
Alan Bates plays Basil, a stiff English writer of Greek origin who has come to Crete where he has inherited a mine. On the way there he meets Zorba (Anthony Quinn) who is looking for a job and Basil takes a chance on him and they sail some choppy waters.
The film is episodic filmed in startling black and white photography.
Basil with whatever money he has entrusts Zorba to get the mine working. Zorba charms the well to do but lonely old French lady, Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova). He also charms the local monks at the nearby monastery to help get the mine working.
Basil is attracted to the ravishing wild widow (Irene Papas) someone every male in the village is also attracted to. She only has eyes for Basil but its a relationship that is imbued with tragedy as we come to understand the ways of local village life in Crete, something Zorba understand but not Basil. This also comes to the fore when Madame Hotense dies and local villagers descend like vultures to strip her house to prevent the government getting it all.
A lot of the film is about Basil trying to understand Crete life. He is a genteel man of letters, shy and rather gauche. Just watch how hesitant he is with talking to the wild widow.
Zorba on the other hand is passionate, life affirming, loyal, brave, foolhardy, hot headed and reckless. He also understands people and the underlying darkness of the villagers.
The film is a drama with tragedy, comedy, music and dance. Bates, Quinn and Irene Papas are very good but the film is actually rather light on plot and Bates reaction when the widow is attacked and the aftermath is rather perplexing. Lila Kedrova who won an Oscar is also hard to understand.
I was surprised that the film was based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, author of The Last Temptation of Christ. Knowing that I knew in an instance that this was going to be more than some cod Greek feel good drama/comedy.
Alan Bates plays Basil, a stiff English writer of Greek origin who has come to Crete where he has inherited a mine. On the way there he meets Zorba (Anthony Quinn) who is looking for a job and Basil takes a chance on him and they sail some choppy waters.
The film is episodic filmed in startling black and white photography.
Basil with whatever money he has entrusts Zorba to get the mine working. Zorba charms the well to do but lonely old French lady, Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova). He also charms the local monks at the nearby monastery to help get the mine working.
Basil is attracted to the ravishing wild widow (Irene Papas) someone every male in the village is also attracted to. She only has eyes for Basil but its a relationship that is imbued with tragedy as we come to understand the ways of local village life in Crete, something Zorba understand but not Basil. This also comes to the fore when Madame Hotense dies and local villagers descend like vultures to strip her house to prevent the government getting it all.
A lot of the film is about Basil trying to understand Crete life. He is a genteel man of letters, shy and rather gauche. Just watch how hesitant he is with talking to the wild widow.
Zorba on the other hand is passionate, life affirming, loyal, brave, foolhardy, hot headed and reckless. He also understands people and the underlying darkness of the villagers.
The film is a drama with tragedy, comedy, music and dance. Bates, Quinn and Irene Papas are very good but the film is actually rather light on plot and Bates reaction when the widow is attacked and the aftermath is rather perplexing. Lila Kedrova who won an Oscar is also hard to understand.