«Greek Zorba» Director Michaelis Kakoyannis, USA/Greece/United Kingdom, 1964. In roles: Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrov and others.
In its filming of the novel, the philosophical dualism of the novel is translated into plastic, look, rhythm. The camera notes a contrast between Bazil’s crooked, «cuffed» (Alan Bates) and Zorba. Anthony Quinn doesn’t play Greek; it’s like he’s becoming a Greek. The movie breathes Crete’s air, then weeps and gets stuck in a big plan by Irene Papas, whose hero never learns how to smile.
The paradox is that the famous «Sirtaki» dance, which became Greece’s guest card, was created specifically for the film by the composer Mikis Theodorakis and choreographer Jorgos Provias. In the finals, Quinn’s hero dances with a broken leg, not jumping, but slipping, and it’s this forced gesture that gives birth to a world myth.
Everything’s gone, and Zorba starts the dance, and Basil, after throwing away the British hold, makes the clumsy but determined moves follow him. The film ends with the conclusion that there is a need to move on, even if everything is lost. Dance, even if you can’t.