A reserved English writer travelling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.A reserved English writer travelling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.A reserved English writer travelling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.
- Won 3 Oscars
- 8 wins & 16 nominations total
Giorgos Foundas
- Mavrandoni
- (as George Foundas)
Yorgo Voyagis
- Pavlo
- (as George Voyadjis)
George P. Cosmatos
- Acne Faced Boy
- (uncredited)
Nikos Papadakis
- Extra
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAnthony Quinn (Alexis Zorba) had a broken foot during filming, and thus couldn't perform the dance on the beach as scripted, which called for much leaping around. The dance is called "syrtaki", and contains elements from various traditional Greek dances. It was created especially for this movie.
- GoofsNear the end of the movie, when the log is coming down the hill it is seen as fairly round and the bark is rough and peeling, like a natural log. But when the log gets to the end of the cable, it appears to be a fake log with no bark and a visible framework that makes it look multi-sided rather than round.
- Quotes
Basil: I don't want any trouble.
Alexis Zorba: Life is trouble. Only death is not. To be alive is to undo your belt and *look* for trouble.
- ConnectionsFeatured in V.I.P.-Schaukel: Episode #3.2 (1973)
- SoundtracksRiri Ririka
from the operetta "Our Ririka" (1929) (uncredited)
Written by Stathis Mastoras
Performed by Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova)
Featured review
OK, I admit I've seen this movie a dozen times. But it never fails to inspire. Was there ever a man who lived life as fully as Alexis Zorba? Was there ever a character who understood so much about living and dying, women and men? Zorba ripping a piece of lamb from the spit and biting into it with joy and verve, dancing in pain or dancing from joy, expressing his wonderment at the sight of a dolphin, gives this character a special place in movie history.
If the rich storytelling and great Quinn performance were not enough, we get the young Alan Bates in a fine part doing a fine piece of acting, and the extraordinary pair of performances by Lila Kedrova and, especially, Irene Pappas, who need not speak a word to convey an entire menu of emotions.
The final scenes are among the best in movies. The music is among the best. Indeed, the MOVIE is among the best.
A GREAT movie.
If the rich storytelling and great Quinn performance were not enough, we get the young Alan Bates in a fine part doing a fine piece of acting, and the extraordinary pair of performances by Lila Kedrova and, especially, Irene Pappas, who need not speak a word to convey an entire menu of emotions.
The final scenes are among the best in movies. The music is among the best. Indeed, the MOVIE is among the best.
A GREAT movie.
- How long is Zorba the Greek?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Zorba the Greek
- Filming locations
- Chania, Crete, Greece(City Scenes)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $783,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $516
- Runtime2 hours 22 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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