Zorba the Greek (film)
| Zorba the Greek | |
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Original film poster
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| Directed by | Michael Cacoyannis |
| Produced by | Michael Cacoyannis |
| Screenplay by | Michael Cacoyannis |
| Based on |
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Mikis Theodorakis |
| Cinematography | Walter Lassally |
| Edited by | Michael Cacoyannis |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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142 minutes |
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| Language |
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| Budget | $783,000 |
| Box office | $23.5 million |
Zorba the Greek (Greek: Αλέξης Ζορμπάς, Alexis Zorba(s)) is a 1964 British-Greek comedy-drama film written, produced, edited, and directed by Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis and starring Anthony Quinn as the title character. Based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis, the film's supporting cast includes Alan Bates, Lila Kedrova, Irene Papas, and Sotiris Moustakas.
Basil is a half-English, half-Greek writer raised in Britain who bears the hallmarks of an uptight, middle-class Englishman. He is waiting at the Athens port of Piraeus on mainland Greece to catch a boat to Crete when he meets a gruff, yet enthusiastic Greek Macedonian peasant and musician named Zorba. Basil explains to Zorba that he is traveling 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 relates his experience with mining and convinces Basil to take him along.
When they arrive at Crete, they take a car to the village where they are greeted enthusiastically by the town's impoverished peasant community. They stay with an old French war widow and courtesan named Madame Hortense in her self-styled "Hotel Ritz". The audacious Zorba tries to persuade Basil into making a move on the much older Madame Hortense, but when he is understandably reluctant, Zorba seizes the opportunity, and they form a relationship.
Over the next few days, Basil and Zorba attempt to work 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), however the land is owned by a powerful monastery, so Zorba visits and befriends the monks, getting them drunk. Afterwards, he comes home to Basil and begins to dance in a way that mesmerizes Basil.
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