Zorba the Greek

source: Zorba the Greek

Alexis Zorbas

When I first saw Zorba the Greek 4 years ago, I inwardly thanked my philosophy teacher for having us watch this masterpiece. Today, I am still greatful to him. This movie is definetely one of my all time favorite. The whole cast is great, the story is really close from the book (except for some details that an author can write in a book, but a director can't put easily in a film), images are wonderful, Crete is.perfect. If you have never seen this movie, I recommend it to you.

Anthony Quinn's performance is phenomenal. In a world filled with ignorance, lack of vision, hate, and the most shameful examples of human depravity, Zorba provides beautifully imperfect goodness. There is no pretense about who Zorba is. Despite his imperfections (and there are so many), he is genuine love, kindness and passion. The scene where Zorba remains by his dying wife's (Madame Hortense) side is pure and sweet and extremely moving. While the greedy masses, like vultures, swoop in to steal any possible item from this woman's home, Zorba provides profound comfort, while most others would have reacted differently. I can't believe it took me 40 years to see this movie. Gracias, Señor Quinn!

Maybe tastes have changed but except for Anthony's Quinn exhuberant acting this film is rather flat.

... needs a little madness or else he (or she) never dares cut the rope and be free' An abzorbing life's what you make it film, albeit critical (we hope) of some traditions that belong in the past, not that they ever belonged at all!

OK, I admit I've seen this movie a dozen times. But it never fails to inspire. Was there ever a man who lived life as fully as Alexis Zorba? Was there ever a character who understood so much about living and dying, women and men? Zorba ripping a piece of lamb from the spit and biting into it with joy and verve, dancing in pain or dancing from joy, expressing his wonderment at the sight of a dolphin, gives this character a special place in movie history. If the rich storytelling and great Quinn performance were not enough, we get the young Alan Bates in a fine part doing a fine piece of acting, and the extraordinary pair of performances by Lila Kedrova and, especially, Irene Pappas, who need not speak a word to convey an entire menu of emotions. The final scenes are among the best in movies. The music is among the best. Indeed, the MOVIE is among the best. A GREAT movie.

Anthony Quinn's Zorba became a point of reference, in fact I'm writing this review 54 years after its first release. He is everything and more. Alan Bates is outstanding walking that very thin line but totally committed to that duality that makes him so human, so real. Lila Kedrova won an Oscar for her performance, deservedly so. Simone Signoret had been offered the part and she was the one who suggested Lila Kedrova to the director, Michael Cacoyanis. I love that story. Zorba has also the power of Irene Papas who makes her silent calling absolutely riveting and the contagious Mikis Theodorakis's score all together in a beautiful, savage, compelling film that doesn't show any signs of aging

I can't decide which was Anthony Quinn's best performance ever: "La strada" or "Zorba the Greek". In the latter, he plays Alexis Zorba, a fun-loving Cretan* who befriends bored Englishman Basil (Alan Bates), who has come to Crete to inherit a mine. As the movie progresses, we see Zorba's penchant for living life to its fullest. By the end, you'll probably wish that you could be in the movie dancing with him. "Zorba the Greek" is quite literally a flawless movie. Virtually anything that you've ever wished that you could do but never had the chance, you can bet money that Zorba does. As he reminds Basil in one scene, "You will live a thousand years." *Yes, a person from Crete is called a Cretan.