Zorba the Greek (1964)

An uptight English writer travelling to Crete, on a matter of business, finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.

Director:

Michael Cacoyannis

Writers:

Nikos Kazantzakis (from the novel "The Life and Times of Alexis Zorba"), Michael Cacoyannis (screenplay)

Stars:

Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas

Won 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anthony Quinn	...	Alexis Zorba
Alan Bates	...	Basil
Irene Papas	...	Widow
Lila Kedrova	...	Madame Hortense
Giorgos Foundas	...	Mavrandoni (as George Foundas)
Sotiris Moustakas	...	Mimithos
Anna Kyriakou	...	Soul
Eleni Anousaki	...	Lola
Yorgo Voyagis	...	Pavlo (as George Voyadjis)
Takis Emmanuel	...	Manolakas

Storyline

An aimless English writer finds he has a small inheritance on a Greek island. His joyless existence is disturbed when he meets Zorba, a middle aged Greek with a real lust for life. As he discovers the earthy pleasures of Greece, the Englishman finds his view on life changing.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | greece | sirtaki | riding a donkey | song and dance | 

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Taglines:

Anthony Quinn plays Zorba. NO - Anthony Quinn IS Zorba!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Burt Lancaster and Burl Ives turned down the role of Alexis Zorba.

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Goofs

At the beginning Basil picks up three books and puts them under his right arm. He walks around a small group of people, and in the next shot they are under his left arm.

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Quotes

Madame Hortense: You are cruel! Why you abandon me? The whole village is laughing at me. Where is my white satin? Where is my wedding dress?

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Connections

Referenced in Get Smart: Absorb the Greek (1969)

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Soundtracks

Riri Ririka
from the operetta "Our Ririka" (1929) (uncredited)
Written by Stathis Mastoras
Performed by Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova)

User Reviews

Mighty Quinn

What an exuberant film - not to be missed! It chronicles sadness and joy so beautifully that one can't help but want to weep, laugh, and dance along. There are four wonderful performances, led by Anthony Quinn, whose enthusiam for life almost leaps from the screen, giving rise to an almost sacrilegious thought: How could Rex Harrison's stuffy, embalmed Professor Henry Higgins have won the Best Actor Oscar over Quinn as Zorba? Lila Kedrova is heartbreaking as Madame Hortense, the dying prostitute with a colorful past. The always-enjoyable Alan Bates, and the striking Irene Papas as the Widow. Like Anna Magnani, Papas was an actress who transcended any language barrier, who didn't need dialogue at all - her face and body said everything she needed to.

For the most part the film looks great on DVD, with crisp, clear black-and-white photography. But I have one quibble: the transfer seems to have been made from the same source as the videotape prints in circulation, because there are a couple of instances of obvious post-production looping (possibly for prime-time television broadcasts), changing 'goddam' to 'old damn,' for instance - they even do this in the English subtitles. But read Quinn's lips - there's no mistaking what the original lines were! I'd expected that the original unedited soundtrack would have been restored.

Details

Country:

Greece USA

Language:

English Greek

Release Date:

14 December 1964 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Zorba the Greek

Filming Locations:

Chania, Crete, Greece

Box Office

Budget:

$783,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1