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Cacoyannis the Greek
By Barry Davis
The Jerusalem Post
(July 13) - IF YOU WANT to rub director Michael
Cacoyannis the wrong way all you have to do is mention "Zorba
the Greek."
 It's not that Cacoyannis is ashamed
of his most famous movie - a three-Oscars winner in 1965 - or
that he thinks it's not a fine piece of celluloid. He just doesn't
want to go down in the film industry's history books as a one-movie
man.
"Yes, I hate it when they
keep mentioning me as the director of 'Zorba the Greek,'"
says the 78-year-old director in a telephone interview this week
from his beach house in Cyprus. "But it can't be helped
and I ignore it."
As well he should. Cacoyannis
will be in town to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival and to
receive a Life Achievement Award - not the sort of recognition
normally dished out to a professional with only one decent effort
to his name. In fact, a glance at his filmography reveals an
impressive list of movies, including a biblical work entitled
"The Story of Jacob and Joseph" which he actually shot
in Israel.
"We began making the film
before the Yom Kippur War but finished it in the middle of the
war," Cacoyannis recalls.
The already difficult location
logistics were further compounded by the hostilities. "I
was advised to get out of the country for my own safety but I
refused to pack up and leave. I was the only foreign director
at the time who stayed. Mind you, some of the actors had to be
flown back and forth to the front to make it possible for me
to finish the film," he explains. "I called the defense
minister Moshe Dayan and asked him what I should do, and he said:
'Life goes on.'"
Does this mean that, for Cacoyannis,
art is more precious than life? "No, I think they are equally
important," adding with a laugh that "I'm very courageous
when I'm working."
The great writers are international
In the 36 years since making "Zorba The Greek"
Cacoyannis has devoted much of his time to the theater. But he
has still found time to direct several well-received films, the
latest of which is "The Cherry Orchard," based on the
Chekhov play of the same name, which will be screened at the
film festival. Cacoyannis is at least as proud of "The Cherry
Orchard" as he is of his Oscar Award-winning effort.
"Tell all the Russian emigres
in Israel to come to see the film," he laughs. "The
Russians go wild when they see the movie. They say it is the
most Russian thing they have ever seen."
Cacoyannis says his ability to
produce a faithful rendition of the play is more down to the
quality of the source material than any cultural affiliation
he may have with Russia. "The great writers are international,"
he states.
Besides returning Cacoyannis
to the focus of media attention "The Cherry Orchard"
also marked the resumption of the director's long-standing professional
relationship with Alan Bates, one of the stars of "Zorba
The Greek."
"We've been
friends for many years and meet regularly," says Cacoyannis.
"We are more than just collaborators."
Cacoyannis has no time for critics
who argue that it is impossible to portray Chekhov's works well
- and particularly "The Cherry Orchard" - on the big
screen.
"They always say that. But
they forget that some of the most successful films have been
adaptations of plays," he says. "There's 'A Streetcar
Named Desire' and many more. That is a type of senseless criticism
because, on the contrary, characters come to life through dialogue
and that's what transposes best to the screen."
He says that "The Cherry
Orchard" is actually well suited to the cinema, adding that
it also carries a modern and a politically correct green message.
"It is about nature and it
offers itself particularly to the screen," he declares.
"Especially today, with all the preservation of nature and
all the attention on pollution and destruction in the name of
industrial progress."
A more artistic approach
European directors are often noted for adopting
a more artistic approach to their films than their American counterparts,
and Cacoyannis supports this theory. Many of his movies have
been cited as much for their aesthetic value as for the way he
spins the on-screen yarn. This is also the case with his latest
release.
"'The Cherry Orchard' is
such a beautiful story. And, of course, it is a period piece.
Every costume is a genuine museum piece," he says.
Cacoyannis subscribes to the claim
that the Europeans, perhaps, devote more attention to detail
than Hollywood professionals when it comes to period pieces.
"It's not just the British. The French and Russians certainly
do so in their theater productions," he argues.
Cacoyannis, himself, was targeted
by American studios early in his career but he defended his artistic
independence with a passion. "They tried very hard to snatch
me up but they met with great resistance. I wasn't going to go
into a stable," he says. "I wanted to go on doing what
I knew how to do, not to take orders. But I was not the exception
in Europe at the time. We didn't all pack up and go over there.
There was also Fellini and Bergman - they wouldn't be lured to
Hollywood for anything."
Cacoyannis says he understands
the strong attraction the American dream factory has for some
European actors and directors. "Look at [Roberto] Benigni.
He just lowers his pants when he is in Hollywood. He loves it
so much," the director laughs. "For me, the mere word
'Hollywood' makes me shudder." |||
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