Zorba the Greek

This movie is weak and meandering. You don't walk away feeling you have gotten anything from it. I remember some buzz about this flick when I was a kid. Perhaps it had a bigger impact on the generation faced with digging itself out of the rubble after the war, but to a modern audience its more of a "so what" movie. Zorba the Meh.

First off, to echo others: NOT a comedy!! Any character at all likable is either a complete failure, Quinn and Bates, or dies a horrible death either at the hand of the uniformly cruel villagers, or in the case of Kedrova, to their glee. Yes, there is a nice little dance at the end but to sit thru 2 hours of the most base of human motivation was not worth it at all. If I were from Crete I would be thoroughly embarrassed by this film, even tho it was made 50 years ago.

Certainly not a comedy, and if so, a dark one at that. A fantastic film about the partnership of two unlikely men. Anthony Quinn is simply breathtaking in this classic about a peasant man who just loves life and to… DANCE, DID YOU SAY DANCE?

Other than the interest of watching Quinn's performance this movie is a complete downer. The two main characters fail at everything they try. The love interest is murdered. So an englishman learns to dance. Who fricken cares? He's about as interesting a character as a cucumber sandwich on white bread.

Quinn is the expression of the quinessential Greek. He plays this role probably better and with such great authenticity than any other actor would be able to. He is credible every minute of the movie. You cannot but get infected with his joy of life and his wonderful philosophical remarks. Read the book and you will see before you Zorba as he should be through one great actor, Anthony Quinn. The electifying scenes between Anthony Bates and Irene Papas belong to some of the most memorable movie moments.

To watch the last scene where Anthony Quinn, the peasant, teaches his well-educated conservative friend the joy of being alive and expressing himself with dance, is to watch sheer genius in an actor. Watch his every move, every gesture and you see raw talent come forth from a man who is larger than life in this role. It is breathtakingly awesome to watch Quinn.

This is a spectacular movie (though not a comedy!). Anthony Quinn is wonderful in this role, so wonderful in fact, that it is the only role he ever played thereafter. Every role he played after Zorba resurrected Zorba, whether appropriate or not. But never mind. This is worth it. Fabulous.

Truly one of the best movies ever made--watch it, you'll laugh and you'll cry. 5 stars.

What, is this some kind of malicious anti-Hellenic dig to classify this Drama as a Comedy? Are you kidding? Or was it some entry level uncultured immature editor that saw some funny looks that Anthony Quinn made and classified it as a comedy without actually seeing it. Wake up iTunes!!! Reclassify this as a drama for Pete's sake! Thank you!