Product Description

On the Greek isle of Crete, Basil (Alan Bates), a shy inhibited writer from England is befriended by Zorba (Anthony Quinn) a boisterous peasant with an astonishing love for life. When Zorba agrees to work at Basil's abandoned mine, it is the beginning of a lesson for the young man as he gradually moves from an observer of the world to a participant. This acclaimed classic co-stars Irene Paps and Lila Kedrova in an Oscar winning performance. "An utterly absorbing and sharply memorable film" (The Hollywood Reporter)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8795 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-03
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Black & White, Dubbed
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 142 minutes

Amazon.com
If you think Zorba the Greek is a simple-minded homage to a man with a zest for life, then you haven't seen the movie. Basil (Alan Bates), a reticent British writer, comes to the Mediterranean island of Crete to revive a mine his father owned. On the way, he meets a Greek roustabout named Zorba (Anthony Quinn) and hires him to help, little suspecting that Zorba's exuberance will lead him to some dark and troubling places--frankly, if the last 30 minutes of Zorba the Greek are what it means to embrace life, some viewers will want to shut the door in life's face. But there's no denying the movie's ambitious scope and implacable force, even as it paints an alien and disturbing portrait of life in a Greek village. On top of that, gorgeous cinematography and one of the greatest film scores ever give this movie almost demonic energy. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Not that great
I'd heard many great things about the film "Zorba the Greek". Now I've watched it. What do I think?


"Zorba the Greek" is based on a novel by the same name. It tells the story of an Englishman (Alan Bates), who comes to Greece to open up a mine left to him by his father. Along the way he meets the exciting and interesting Alexander Zorba (Anthony Quinn). Zorba talks the Englishman into giving him a job. As the movie goes on, our Englishman falls in love, learns about life, and how to do Greek dances. About what you'd expect for a movie like this.

As for my opinions of it? Well, first, Zorba is kind of useless, isn't he? I mean, sure he has his whole "lust for life" thing going on, but when it really matters, what does he do? Nothing. When someone is killed, he does nothing (also, no real explanation for WHY this particular person was killed). When a rather odd plan he formulates goes down the tubes, he does nothing to correct it. He's big, he's loud, he's romantic, he's useless.

But on the other hand, Anthony Quinn's performance as Zorba is amazing! He really carries the film and elevates the material above what it would otherwise be. Bates does reasonably well, as does Lila Kerdova, who plays a Frenchwoman "of a certain age", and got an Oscar for her performance.


The scenery is nice, though I'm somewhat surprised they didn't film this movie in color. Since it was filmed in Greece, you do get a good feel for the people and the place.

But overall? I was disappointed. The movie wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped it would be. The DVD is pretty good, boasting a commentary and an episode of "Biography" on Anthony Quinn. The extras, plus Quinn's performance, may make the movie worth owning to some. To me, though, not so much.

Exactly what I wanted
The movie is exactly what I expected and was shipped so fast that I could hardly believe it! Thanks!

A innocent Widow gets her throat cut and........
and none of the pathetic townspeople think to call the Police. OK-------This is NOT an uplifting film. It's actually quite depressing, I was surprised how bad Zorba was. Quinn is quite good as the title character, but to me it is rather a bizarre, bad film.