Alexis Zorbas (1964)
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A buttoned-up intellectual and a boisterous Cretan peasant embark on a journey to reopen a lignite mine, leading to a series of unexpected adventures.
The story
Basil, an unadventurous middle-class Greek-British writer, travels to a Cretan village with the intention of re-opening a lignite mine to cure his writer's block. At the port of Piraeus, he meets Zorba, an earthy and boisterous Cretan peasant and musician who offers to serve as his foreman and handyman. Upon arriving at the village, they lodge with Madame Hortense, a former cabaret dancer. As they begin working the old mine, the two men navigate their polar opposite personalities, engaging in various schemes and interactions with the local residents, including a young widow and a local boy named Pavlo.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Basil, a British-Greek writer, meets the boisterous Cretan peasant Zorba at the port of Piraeus. Zorba joins Basil as a foreman to help reopen a lignite mine in a Cretan village. They stay with Madame Hortense, a former courtesan. While working, the mine collapses, leading Zorba to devise a plan to steal timber from a monastery by tricking the monks. Meanwhile, Basil begins a secret affair with a local widow, while Zorba charms Hortense. After a series of events—including Zorba's drunken spending, the death of a local boy named Pavlo, and a violent incident where a villager's father kills the widow—the men continue their work. Madame Hortense eventually dies of pneumonia, and Zorba fends off villagers trying to loot her hotel. Finally, Zorba completes a timber transport system. During a festive ceremony, the system fails repeatedly, destroying the logs and the contraption. Left alone on the shore, Basil and Zorba share a final drink and dance the sirtaki, with Zorba teaching Basil the 'madness' needed to break free.
- Original title
- Alexis Zorbas
- First release year
- 1964
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom; Greece
- Original languages
- English; Greek
- Directors
- Michael Cacoyannis
- Writers
- Michael Cacoyannis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anthony Quinn · Zorba; Alan Bates · Basil; Irene Papas · the Widow; Lila Kedrova · Madame Hortense; Sotiris Moustakas · Mimithos; Anna Kyriakou · Soul; Eleni Anousaki · Lola; George Voyadjis · Pavlo
- Genres
- drama; comedy
- Themes
- Life-affirming personality; Cruelties and vicissitudes of life; Madness as freedom
- Tone and mood
- Comedy; Drama; Tragic; Engrossing
- Premise and plot tags
- Adaptation; Writer's block; Mining; Travel
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Life and Times of Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis (1946)
- Content notes
- Gruesome murder
- Reception
- The film was a considerable critical and commercial success, praised for its performances, particularly those of Anthony Quinn and Lila Kedrova, though some critics noted issues with the screenplay's length and narrative flow.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Supporting Actress · Academy Awards · 37th · Won; Best Cinematography · Academy Awards · 37th · Won; Best Art Direction · Academy Awards · 37th · Won; Best Picture · Academy Awards · 37th · Nominated; Best Director · Academy Awards · 37th · Nominated; Best Actor · Academy Awards · 37th · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Anthony Quinn's performance popularized the sirtaki folk dance.; The film was produced in Greece for under $1 million.; Simone Signoret began filming the role of Madame Hortense before being replaced by Lila Kedrova.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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