Zorba The Greek is one of those films totally dominated by its star. Had Anthony Quinn not already won two Oscars albeit in the Supporting Actor category he might have copped The Best Actor award for this lusty portrayal of a middle aged Greek who just takes life as it comes. This film is what is meant by the expression star vehicle.
Having said that I do have to wonder why half English, half Greek Alan Bates didn't just pack up and leave Crete after what he had been through? Bates who has lived in the United Kingdom all his life and is the quintessential Englishman, a bit on the shy side who falls in with the older Quinn. Part of his inheritance is a lignite mine which Bates would like to see activated again. You would hope he would have hired a geologist to see if it was worth the effort.
Bates is completely enthralled with Quinn who just lives from day to day. Quinn builds him a Rube Goldberg like contraption to bring shoring timber from a mountain top forest for the mine. That ends very chaotically.
Both get involved with women and it ends rather badly for both. In fact the manner of death for both Irene Papas and Lila Kedrova would have sent this one if he were Bates's place scurrying back to London. But as the British were wont to say back then, Bates has gone native.
Managing to get a few innings in herself in the face of the domineering Quinn is French actress Lila Kedrova who plays an aged Frenchwoman who was set up real nice in a hotel that a former paramour and she had. Kedrova got an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and she does well for herself.
I have to say I liked the film, didn't really like the people it portrayed. They do have a hard life, but there are some things there are not any excuse for.
Having said that I do have to wonder why half English, half Greek Alan Bates didn't just pack up and leave Crete after what he had been through? Bates who has lived in the United Kingdom all his life and is the quintessential Englishman, a bit on the shy side who falls in with the older Quinn. Part of his inheritance is a lignite mine which Bates would like to see activated again. You would hope he would have hired a geologist to see if it was worth the effort.
Bates is completely enthralled with Quinn who just lives from day to day. Quinn builds him a Rube Goldberg like contraption to bring shoring timber from a mountain top forest for the mine. That ends very chaotically.
Both get involved with women and it ends rather badly for both. In fact the manner of death for both Irene Papas and Lila Kedrova would have sent this one if he were Bates's place scurrying back to London. But as the British were wont to say back then, Bates has gone native.
Managing to get a few innings in herself in the face of the domineering Quinn is French actress Lila Kedrova who plays an aged Frenchwoman who was set up real nice in a hotel that a former paramour and she had. Kedrova got an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and she does well for herself.
I have to say I liked the film, didn't really like the people it portrayed. They do have a hard life, but there are some things there are not any excuse for.