- Includes spoiling -
I was looking forward to seeing this movie, since I had gotten the impression that this classic was somewhat concerned about the issues of happiness and life. But after watching it I've hard to see the morale of the story. The scene where the beautiful widow, played by Irene Pappas, is being chased and killed was one of the strongest scenes I've ever seen in a movie, and affected me a lot. Yet the main character, Alan Bates, doesn't seem sad at all. He says that he couldn't have done anything, and that's it. He never reflects about the girl, that it was his fault because he visited her, no; he's completely heartless, which surprises me, him being a soft, shy and cowardly guy and all. In the next scene, the second widow, Lila Kedrova, is dying and the local citizens are gathering around waiting for her to die so they can steal her possessions. Another great scene, in my opinion, giving some social criticism showing human greed and lack of compassion. And still, no emotional flow. Not long after the horrible death of these two women, Zorba and the Englishman are having a great time dancing. They don't seem to care at all about those mishappenings. Their behaviour and the way they feel...it's almost criminal. Imagine their outcome in case L'Étranger (Albert Camus)... I think those scenes could have been better developed, though they are the highlights of the movie. Is the happy ending forced? Maybe, but I guess it fits better with the movie as whole. They could however, instead of holding back the emotions, have let the tragedy blossomed in these two, or three, scenes, and then more slowly have turned the pattern towards a happy ending. I think Frank Capra would have been the ideal man for that job.
So, is this film trying to say anything? That you should be happy, drink, dance, enjoy life and have fun? Or is it just putting a strictly bounded Englishman together with a more or less mad and life enjoying Greek? Or does it want to tell, like Zorba says in the end, that a touch of madness is good element in every man's life?
3/5