Zorba the Greek (film)

Zorba the Greek is a 1964 British-Greek comedy-drama film written, produced, directed and edited by Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis, and based on the novel The Life and Adventures of Alexis Zorbas by Nikos Kazantzakis.

Starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas and Lila Kedrova, the story recounts the conflict between the two main characters, Zorba and Basil, who represent the human conflict between passion and reason, seeking to represent cognitive dualism characteristic of humanity.

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three awards: Best Supporting Actress for Kedrova, Best Cinematography for a Black and White Film for Walter Lassally, and Best Art Direction for a Black and White Film for Vassilis Photopoulos. The protagonist's dance has become a popular Greek icon after the film's release.

Plot

Basil (Alan Bates) is a UK-raised British-Greek writer who exhibits the characteristics of an uptight, middle-class Englishman. He is waiting in the Piraeus port of Athens on mainland Greece to catch a ship to Crete when he meets a rustic, but enthusiastic peasant and musician named Zorba (Anthony Quinn). Basil explains to Zorba that he is heading to a rural Cretan village, where his father owns some land, with the intention of reopening a lignite mine and perhaps curing his writer's block. Zorba recounts his experience with mining and convinces Basil to go together.

When they arrive in Crete, they drive to the village where they are enthusiastically welcomed by the town's community of impoverished farmers. They stay with an old war widow and French courtesan named Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova) at her self-styled "Ritz Hotel." The bold Zorba tries to persuade Basil to become intimate with the much older Madame Hortense, but as he is completely reluctant, Zorba seizes the opportunity and strikes up a relationship with the mistress.

In the days that follow, Basil and Zorba try to work in the old lignite mine, but find it unsafe and shut it down. Zorba then has an idea to use the forest in the nearby mountains for logging (although his specific plan is left ambiguous), although the land is owned by a powerful monastery, so Zorba visits and befriends the monks, getting them drunk. Then he returns home and begins to dance in a way that captivates Basil.

Meanwhile, Basil and Zorba meet "the widow" (Irene Papas), an attractive young widow, who is incessantly ridiculed by the villagers because she has not remarried, especially to a young local boy who is madly in love with her, but whom she has rejected on several occasions. One rainy afternoon, Basil offers her her umbrella, which she reluctantly accepts. Zorba suggests that she is attracted to him, but Basil, always shy, denies this.

Basil gives Zorba some money and sends him to the city of Chania to buy cables and other supplies for the implementation of his logging plan. Zorba says goodbye to Basil and Madame Hortense, who is madly in love with him. In Chania, Zorba entertains himself in a cabaret and strikes up a brief romance with a much younger dancer. In a letter to Basil, he details his exploits and indicates that he has found love. Irritated by Zorba's obvious irresponsibility and waste of her money, Basil tells Madame Hortense that Zorba has declared his love for her and intends to marry her when he returns, which makes her elated and on the verge of tears Meanwhile, the widow returns Basil's umbrella through Mimithos (Sotiris Moustakas), the village idiot.

When Zorba finally returns with supplies and gifts, he is shocked and angry to hear Basil lie to Madame Hortense. He also questions Basil about his whereabouts the night before. That night, Basil goes to her widow's house, and spends the night with her. The brief encounter comes at a great cost: a villager spots them and spreads the rumor, and the boy who is in love with the widow is mercilessly taunted for it. The next morning, the villagers find his body by the sea, after his suicide.

At the funeral, the widow tries to attend discreetly, but is prevented from entering the church. She is eventually caught in the courtyard, and then beaten and stoned by the locals, who hold her responsible for the boy's suicide. Basil, submissive and afraid to intervene, tells Mimithos to quickly find Zorba. Zorba arrives just as a villager tries to pull out a knife and kill the widow. Zorba overpowers the much younger man and disarms him. Thinking the situation is cleared up, Zorba asks the widow to follow him and turns her back. At that moment, the dead boy's father pulls out a knife and slits the widow's throat. She dies as the villagers apathetically leave, taking her father with them. Only Basil, Zorba, and Mimithos show any emotion at death. Basil proclaims his inability to intervene, whereupon Zorba laments the futility of his death.

On a rainy day, Basil and Zorba go home to find Madame Hortense waiting for them. She expresses her anger at Zorba for not making any progress on the wedding. Zorba tells her a story that she had ordered a white satin wedding dress, lined with pearls and trimmed with gold. Madame Hortense presents two gold rings that she had ordered made and proposes her immediate engagement. Zorba tries to delay, but eventually gladly agrees, much to Basil's surprise.

Some time later, Madame Hortense contracts pneumonia and is seen on her deathbed. Zorba remains by her side, along with Basil. Meanwhile, word spreads that "the foreigner" is dying, and since she has no heirs, the state will take her possessions and money. The desperately poor villagers crowd around her hotel, impatiently waiting for her to die so they can steal her belongings. Two villagers enter the room and look at her expectantly, other women try the same, but Zorba manages to stop them. At the moment of her death, the women again riot into Madame Hortense's bedroom to steal her most valuable possessions. Zorba leaves with a sigh, as the hotel is ransacked. When Zorba returns to Madame Hortense's bedroom, the room is empty apart from her bed (where she lies) and the bird in her cage, which she takes with her.

Finally, the structure made by Zorba to transport wood is finished. A ceremony is held, including roast lamb, and all the villagers gather for it. After the monks' blessing, Zorba signals the start of the work by firing a rifle into the air. A log is hurtling downward at a dizzying rate, destroying the log itself and damaging part of the structure. Zorba remains indifferent and gives orders for a second log to be sent. This one also accelerates downward and falls into the sea. But now the villagers and priests are afraid and try to take cover. Zorba remains unfazed and orders a third log, which accelerates down so violently that it disarms the entire structure, destroying everything. The villagers flee, leaving Basil and Zorba behind.

Basil and Zorba sit on the shore eating roast lamb for lunch. Zorba claims to predict the future through the leg of the lamb, saying that he envisions a great trip to a great city. He then asks Basil directly when he plans to leave and Basil replies that he will leave in a few days. Zorba declares his sadness about Basil's imminent departure for England and tells Basil that he lacks a grain of madness. Basil asks Zorba to teach him how to dance. Zorba shows him the sirtaki and Basil starts laughing hysterically at the catastrophic outcome of the undertaking. The story ends with both men dancing the sirtaki enthusiastically on the beach.

Cast

Anthony Quinn on Zorba's role.
Associated Press, 1965.

• Anthony Quinn - Alexis ZorbaÀλθκς מορμπος), a fictional version of mining worker George Zorbas (أعربية Рπάς 1867–1942).
• Alan Bates - Basil
• Irene Papas - the Widow
• Lila Kedrova - Madame Hortense
• Sotiris Moustakas - Mimithos
• Anna Kyriakou - Soul
• Eleni Anousaki - Lola
• George Voyadjis - Pavlo
• Takis Emmanuel - Manolakas
• George Foundas - Mavrandoni
• Pia Lindströmdeleted scenes) - Aldeana
• George P. Cosmatoes - Child with acne

Production

Simone Signoret began filming the role of Madame Hortense. However, in the initial stages of production she would be replaced by Lila Kedrova.

The film was filmed on the Greek island of Crete. Specific locations featured include the city of Chania, the Apokoronas region, and the Akrotiri Peninsula. The famous scene where Quinn's character dances the Sirtaki was filmed on the beach in the town of Stavros.

Reception

The film was a huge success. Produced on a budget of just US$783,000, it grossed US$9 million at the United States box office, earning $4.4 million theatrically. At the worldwide box office, the film earned $9.4 million, putting the worldwide total between $18, 8 million and $23.5 million. It was the nineteenth highest-grossing film of 1964.

Criticism

Reviews at the time were generally positive, with Anthony Quinn and Lila Kedrova receiving numerous accolades for their performances, though some critics found fault with the script. Bosley Crowther of the New York Times praised Quinn for a "brilliant performance" and to Kedrova for her "brilliantly realized" character, citing the film's only weakness as its lack of "significant conflict" to demonstrate her commanding character. Zorba is powerful and provocative, but no one stands in his way.' unusual and fascinating" with "outrageously fun" and "painfully tragic and sad." Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called it "a memorable image" with a "bravura performance" de Quinn, adding that "Lila Kedrova as the dying Mme. Hortense is spectacularly moving". Variety found the film excessively long and overwrought, writing that Cacoyannis' script was "full of incidents of different moods, so packed together, in fact, that some of the most important ones cannot be fully developed. Brendan Gill of The New Yorker wrote that Cacoyannis had directed the film with "enormous verve", but he had written a "not very tidy, not very plausible script". Gill particularly praised Kedrova's performance and thought that she "gets into an ace for stealing Quinn's photo". The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that the film begins well, but when the characters travel to Crete "the pace slows and the narrative line blurs into a series of unrelated incidents of dubious importance". The review concluded that, despite everything, "the film never quite arrives at a clear statement of its subject matter, nor does it come close to measuring distance from its vast claims".

Awards and nominations

Oscar Awards

At the 37th Academy Awards, Zorba the Greek was nominated in seven categories, winning three awards.

Golden Globe Awards

At the 22nd Golden Globe Awards, the film was nominated for five awards, winning none.

The film currently has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Influence

The dance at the end of the film, choreographed by Giorgos Provias, formerly known as "Zorba's dance" and later called sirtaki, has become a popular Greek dance cliché.

Zorba the Greek was later adapted into a Broadway musical called Zorba in 1968, starring Herschel Bernardi. In 1983, the show was revived, with Anthony Quinn and Lila Kedrova reprising their roles from the film. It opened to huge box office receipts and critical acclaim, running for over 362 performances, more than the original stage production. Kedrova won the Tony for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Madame Hortense.

Since 2004, the Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has preserved the film.