GREAT CINEMA ADAPTATONS: ZORBA THE GREEK

Peter Josyph via Zoom

First published in Greece in 1946, The Life and Times of Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis concerns a young English-Greek intellectual who sets his books aside to reopen an inherited lignite mine on the island of Crete, with the aid of a flamboyantly exuberant handyman named Zorba, who advises him—with drastically varying outcomes—on how to live, love, and make the mine succeed. Based on an actual Greek named Zorba, the novel was turned into a 1964 film by Michael Cacoyannis, and won 3 of its 7 Oscar nominations. Starring Anthony Quinn as Zorba in a career-defining role, and Alan Bates as Basil, known only as "Boss" to Zorba, the film's music, locations, and sirtaki dancing on the seashore have become cultural touchstones, along with lines from Zorba like: "You need a little madness," and "Am I not a man? I am a man, so I married. Wife. Children. Everything. The full catastrophe." Our first session explores the themes of the novel and how they relate to other work by Kazantzakis, including The Last Temptation of Christ. Our second session examines why the film is so successful and probes whether its lessons are applicable to daily life.

 [A Zoom link will be sent to you prior to each session, typically on the day before your class and the morning of your class.  If you have any questions or need help getting online, feel free to call us at 516-480-5733 and we’ll get right back to you with assistance.]