Zorba the Greek

( 4 )

Overview

If ever there was a role that Anthony Quinn was born to play, it was the lusty, life-affirming title character in Zorba the Greek. The scene is the isle of Crete, where English writer Alan Bates arrives in the hopes of realigning his own values and outlook on life. He is "adopted" by the flamboyant Zorba, who determines to educate Bates in the ways of the world-or, to be more precise, Zorba's world. Along the way, Bates is introduced to widow Irene Papas, the unrequited love object of everyone on the island, who ...
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Blu-ray (Wide Screen / Subtitled)
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Overview

If ever there was a role that Anthony Quinn was born to play, it was the lusty, life-affirming title character in Zorba the Greek. The scene is the isle of Crete, where English writer Alan Bates arrives in the hopes of realigning his own values and outlook on life. He is "adopted" by the flamboyant Zorba, who determines to educate Bates in the ways of the world-or, to be more precise, Zorba's world. Along the way, Bates is introduced to widow Irene Papas, the unrequited love object of everyone on the island, who comes to a tragic end when she is accused of adultery. The writer is also a spectator to the equally benighted romance between Zorba and venerable courtesan Lila Kedrova. Other disasters follow, but Zorba is able to convince Bates that failure is an inescapable part of life, and that only by constantly tasting defeat can one truly enjoy life's victories. Based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek earned Oscars for actress Lila Kedrova, cinematographer Walter Lassally and art director Vassilis Fotopoulos.
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Special Features

Commentary by director Michael Cacoyannis and professor Demetrios Liappas; Anthony Quinn: A Lust for Life as seen on Biography on the A&E Network; Alternate introduction; Fox Movietone News
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
A big, brash, popular movie featuring a one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life performance from Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek became famous as much for its catchy, pseudo-ethnic pop music as for its dramatic excesses. Long and somewhat bloated, the entertaining epic is mostly about the relationship between a young British writer (Alan Bates) and the older, gregarious Greek laborer who dominates his stay at his father's mine in Crete. Its main attraction is its zesty, colorful, stunningly photographed examination of an all-embracing Greek culture. Romance, passion, food, drink, song, and grand ideas are all served up with an irresistible flavor in this British production that attracted audiences worldwide, but especially in the United States, where it garnered five Oscar nominations in the same year as My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins. Lila Kedrova won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as Zorba's courtesan, and cinematographer Walter Lassally also took home a statue.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/5/2012
  • UPC: 024543775003
  • Original Release: 1964

    • Rating:

  • Source: 20th Century Fox
  • Region Code: A
  • Presentation: Wide Screen / Subtitled
  • Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound
  • Time: 2:22:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 6,396

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Anthony Quinn Alexis Zorba
Alan Bates Basil
Irene Papas The Widow
Lila Kedrova Mme. Hortense
Georges Foundas Mavrandoni
Eleni Anousaki Lola
Sotiris Moustakas Mimithos
Takis Emmanuel Manolakas
Anna Kyriakou Soul
Yorgo Voyagis Pavlo
Technical Credits
Michael Cacoyannis Director, Editor, Producer, Screenwriter
Monique Archambault Makeup
Vassilis Fotopoulos Art Director
Walter Lassally Cinematographer
Mikis Theodorakis Score Composer, Musical Direction/Supervision
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 4 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(2)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 29, 2002

    Lust for Life - Quinn's Masterpiece

    A bare outline of this film does not do justice to the way in which Anthony Quinn totally and completely dominates this picture and makes it his own. The sheer physical presence of Quinn on screen energizes and illuminates every scene he is in. He owns this movie. The story: Alan Bates plays an Englishman of Greek heritage moving temporarily to Crete to write a book and to attempt to revive an old lignite mine on family property. On the way he meets a Greek farmer called Zorba (Anthony Quinn) who attaches himself to Bates and becomes his friend, helper and confidant as they try and deal with ossified Cretan traditions, a beautiful widow, a stranded French courtesan, an abandoned lignite mine and a scheme to bring logs down from the mountain to use in the mine. What shines clear and strong throughout this film is Zorba's attitude to life, love, failure, ambition and death - he embraces them all fully and with unbridled enthusiasm. Zorba lives each day as though he is to be taken out and shot the next. Although he made many more films, Anthony Quinn was always best known for his role as Zorba. And it is worth buying the movie to see why. It is as though, in so enthusiastically portraying a man who loved life and attacked it with such a soaring passion, Quinn was saying to the audience, ''Look, here, this is the REAL me. Inside the body of Anthony Quinn beats Zorba's heart.'' This film is a wonderful, life-affirming, joyous yet bittersweet cinematic dance.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great

    I have watched it about 100 times, I will watch a 100 times more. I had the occasion to meet Mikis Theodorakis, the music and movie blended together nicely.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 27, 2002

    Brilliant!!!!

    a truly remarkable film. Based on Nicos Kazantzakis' masterpiece novel.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 16, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews