Plot Summary for
Alexis Zorbas (1964)

An aimless Englishman 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.

Alan Bates:

"Are you married?"

Zorba:

"Am I not a man, and is not a man stupid? So, I marry, wife, children, house, everything; The Full Catastrophe."
--Anthony Quinn (1964)

Zorba:

"A man is not a man, when a woman begs him to her bed, and he will not go.."
--Anthony Quinn (1964)

Trivia

Anthony Quinn had a broken foot during filming, and thus couldn't perform the dance on the beach as scripted, which called for much leaping around. Instead, he did a slow shuffle. Director Michael Cacoyannis asked Quinn what the dance was, and Quinn made up a name and claimed it was traditional.

Zorba the Greek

1964

An exceptionally accomplished screen version of the acclaimed Kazantzakis novel, with Anthony Quinn giving the performance of a lifetime as the title character. Set in Crete, the story follows the adventures of the fun-loving Zorba who takes a reserved Britisher (Alan Bates) under his wing, teaching him his philosophy of life. Lila Kedrova deservedly won an Oscar as Zorba's aging mistress. Features a terrific Mikis Theodorakis score.

Featuring
Anthony Quinn
Alan Bates
Lila Kedrova
Irene Papas

Director
Michael Cacoyannis