Zorba the Greek

Zorba the Greek (1964) starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova, George Foundas. A young Englishman (Bates) arrives in Greece, on his way to the island of Crete, where he has inherited a lignite mine. On the way there, he meets a Greek named Zorba (Quinn), who attaches himself to him and whom he hires to try and bring the  mine up to working order. Once in Crete, the young Englishman gets involved in the affairs of the people of the small village to which he travels. The movie has a certain earthy zestfulness, courtesy of Quinn and Kedrova, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a dying prostitute. The film also won Oscars for cinematography and art direction-set decoration. Grade: B