Like it or not, Nikos Kazantzakis has had a decisive influence on Greek letters and the intellectual life of modern Greece. This is probably why it makes me wonder how was it possible for such an experienced director as Smaragdis to present a work so superficial and profoundly dull. We were waiting for a thrilling biopic, but instead of that we got another cliched fairy tale.
Everything in this film is based almost entirely on overused platitudes, idealizations and simplifications. And it's not the cast's fault. All of the leads here are accomplished actors and are honestly doing their best to get something good out of this whole cinematic mess. But the dialogue is so pretentious and the direction so naive that the viewer gets more puzzled and frustrated by the minute. And, by the way, who had the bright idea to have Zorba dance literally every time he's on his feet? It's cheesy and unfair for somebody whose character had had a profound impact on the protagonist's life. The same thing happens with the poet Sikelianos, as he is caricatured as a conceited odd fellow.
Kazantzakis as a writer deserves so much better! This unnecessary idolization doesn't really serve any purpose.
