Review of Zorba the Greek (1964) by J D — 09 May 2008
Spoiler contained in this review: I'm amazed at the number of reviews celebrating this one, and equally amazed at how well it did. While Anthony Quinn's performance is indeed wonderful, Alan Bates' character is appalling in his impotence, as is the tolerance and acceptance of the horrific behavior of the Crete islanders.
The cold-blooded murder of the widow was atrocious. But more atrocious was the reaction of both Quinn and Bates, i.e. barely an eyeblink. How can you celebrate the characters' "joy of life" dance in the finale knowing they witnessed the execution of an innocent woman and then go on to employ the same people who executed her? To me, this is not a movie about the joy of life, but rather about selfishness and sociopathic behavior, remaining completely unaffected by the suffering of others while you go on your merry way.
Disgusting.
This review of Zorba the Greek (1964) was written by J D on 09 May 2008.
Zorba the Greek has generally received very positive reviews.
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