Zorba the Greek

Basil, a reserved Greek-British writer, waits for a ferry to Crete and unexpectedly meets Zorba, a robust peasant and musician, at the Athens port of Piraeus. He explains that he intends to reopen a lignite mine in a Cretan village and perhaps cure his writer's block. The unlikely pairing begins as Basil seeks a guide and foreman to accompany him to the island.

They arrive in a poor Crete village and are warmly greeted by the locals. Basil and Zorba lodge with Madame Hortense, a former cabaret dancer who runs a hotel called the Hotel Ritz. Hortense hints at a glamorous past and pines for romance, while Zorba tests Basil's willingness to act on his desires.

Zorba candidly recounts a chequered past with acts of rape and murder, though he argues he now rejects nationalism and bears no grudges. He shows his battle wounds, signaling a fearless, if morally complex, temperament. Basil listens with a mix of fascination and discomfort.

Basil and Zorba attempt to revive the mine, but it collapses and nearly injures Zorba. He proposes sourcing lumber from the surrounding forest to replace rotten pit-props, and tricks the monastery into cooperating by suggesting a miracle, celebrating his cunning. The plan marks a shift from mining to timber engineering.

Having secured the timber plan, Zorba spontaneously breaks into the famous sirtaki dance, contrasting his exuberant ego with Basil's anxiety. The moment underscores Zorba's embrace of life and Basil's cautious restraint. The dance is a symbolic turning point in their relationship.

Zorba designs a method to lower timber down the mountain on a wire and uses Basil's money to fund the operation. Basil sends him to the port of Chania to buy cable and supplies, hoping to advance the project. This trip begins a spree of spending that strains their partnership.

In Chania, Zorba becomes intoxicated, visits a cabaret, and buys gifts for the cabaret dancer. Basil writes a letter to Hortense recounting Zorba's exploits and then lies, telling Hortense that Zorba intends to marry her. Hortense is delighted by the prospect, unaware of the deception.

Basil, after much inner turmoil, visits the widow's house and spends the night with her. The meeting is witnessed by jealous villagers, deepening tensions in the community. Basil feels torn between desire and guilt as the consequences loom.

Word of Basil's visit reaches the widow's suitor and the town's jealous men, who drive a wedge between them. The young man in love with the widow drowns himself, and the widow is later murdered by the boy's furious father, who is protected by the crowd. Zorba and Basil watch the tragedy unfold with a sense of helplessness.

Despite the tragedy, Basil, Zorba, and the villagers resume construction of the timber zip-line. The scene shifts to a communal effort, accompanied by lighthearted music as they work toward a practical, if flawed, solution. The project becomes a lingering symbol of their ambition and folly.

On a rainy day, Hortense confronts Zorba about the wedding delayed by his absence. Zorba fabricates a grand story of a white satin wedding dress and engagement rings, and eventually agrees to marry Hortense, stunning Basil. The moment reveals Zorba's thirst for romance and Basil's surprise at the turn of events.

Hortense falls ill with pneumonia and dies. As news spreads that the foreigner has died, villagers flood her hotel to seize her possessions. Zorba fights off the looters, and when he returns, the room is ransacked, leaving only a parrot cage.

The zip-wire trials end in disaster: the first log speeds down and breaks, the second overshots into the sea, and the third destroys the contraption. The crowd scatters, and Basil and Zorba stand together amid the wreckage, facing the consequences of their scheme. They reflect on madness and destiny as the moment passes.

In the aftermath, Basil asks Zorba to teach him to dance, and they dance the sirtaki together on the empty shore. The final image captures their bond as Basil contemplates leaving Crete, while Zorba's philosophy lingers in the air.