FOREVER YOUNG
The FOUNDATION
Undoubtedly, one of the most influential Greek films of all time is Zorba the Greek. Directed by Michael Cacoyannis in 1964, the 142 minute film is critically-acclaimed (and rightfully so) for its pure and elegant depiction of the adventures of two men in Crete. While their adventures aren't that of an Indiana Jones or possibly even a superhero, their journey is one with great emotional, political, economic, and cultural implications. The story of Zorba the Greek is littered with numerous clever commentaries on what the Greek life truly entails, and the representation has held up over time.
One factor of that representation is the dance. Throughout the film, Zorba dances at different points, each with different meanings behind them. One is for romance, one is for celebration, and, perhaps most powerfully, one is to say that everything will be okay. The final dance, the one that actually ends the film, created an influential scene that resonates still today. The film ends with two men, recently abandoned and nearly destroyed by crisis, dancing their way gleefully around it. They forego the problems of the world to share an air of celebration, that life goes on.
While this idea wasn't exactly new to Greeks, it showed the rest of the world the power the act of dancing possessed. After Zorba released, many films begin utilizing the dance as a symbol for perseverance, celebration, or growth. The dance wasn't just a physical act; it embodied a many-faced movement.
Similarly, the release of Zorba gave the world insight of what it means to be a Greek man. Through his actions, Zorba displayed a style of machismo the rest of the world hadn’t yet seen. Zorba was fast, cunning. He was able to bed any woman and possessed great intellectual strength. He was honorable, which is the one trait necessary to obtaining and keeping his masculinity strong.
In Masculinity and Gender in Greek Cinema, Hadjikyriacou explains this last idea further. He writes, “The constant ambition of a man to keep his timé or augment it through the respect and admiration of the community was called philotimo. Philotimo was a way to lead a virile life and to acquire strong self-esteem, by fulfilling all the obligations towards the family and especially towards the female members” (12). This idea of philotimo and family is extremely important for later films (especially Fox), so be sure to keep this in the back of your mind. Hadjikyriacou goes on, “Thus, a man should always prove himself ‘energetic’, as eneryia [energy] was a principle of masculinity and domination. In addition to being philotimos [having philotimo], a man had to believe in his superiority as an independent male, a kind of self-respect and pride… in the sense of being the head of a collective” (12). In essence, in order to be a man, one must be a good family man, be superior to those around him, and must dominate women. Zorba embodied all of these characteristics, and, because Zorba was such a worldwide phenomenon, the rest of the world demanded that the up-and-coming Greek man must also exhibit this personality. It set the bar extraordinarily high for all men, leaving many men feeling insufficient for not reaching it.
One film that seamlessly integrates both concepts of the dance and philotimo into its story is Forever Young. Forever Young follows one night of two lovers: a timid virgin boy's first time and an experienced prostitute's last night of service. The boy, at first frustrated by not being able to lose his virginity to a woman he endears, finally strikes gold when he sleeps with the veteran prostitute who genuinely appreciates his presence. After they sleep together, the protagonist dances from boy into man, powerfully storming the street with his graceful steps.
In her 2015 journal titled, A Shifting Landscape: Contemporary Greek dance and conditions of crisis, Betina Panagiotara explains how the meaning of dancing has shifted to comment on socio-political crisis in contemporary Greek society. Using multiple examples, she explains how performance combines past and present to try and address the state of society. Panagiotara writes "At this moment of crisis in Greek society or at this ‘moment of danger’, performance may unexpectedly bring to the fore images of the past...that is, by suggesting connections and reflections on the past, or by making it anew, in order to avoid conformism and to propose new engagements and relationships between past and present while forming a sense of sharing or community" (33). By merging decades of knowledge and art together, the dance addresses the political crisis in Greece with new solutions while at the same time providing an outlet for emotion and beauty. Dancing distracts the dancer from the troubles that they bear while simultaneously providing the dancer with the solution.
So, what does this have to do with Forever Young and masculinity? Although the exact idea isn't translatable, the fundamental concept behind dancing to address political crisis fits well into this discussion. The protagonist, Nikos, at the beginning of this film is very clearly in crisis: his brother is bedding multiple women while Nikos cannot find a single worthy companion, leaving him without his timé. He suffers more bad luck when he heads to a brothel and cannot bring himself to sleep with the young prostitute that clearly isn't interested, escalating his crisis to a near boiling point.
While he does end up sleeping with the older prostitute, it's not safe to say that his crisis is positively over. The prostitute, Maria, is clearly retiring from the business, and his connection to a woman only lasts one night. Yet, this is the perfect calling for him to dance. He takes to the street to move, celebrating his step forward while acknowledging not only the troubling past behind him but also the uncertain future ahead. Nikos incorporates all of his experiences and everything he learns over the course of the film into this passion filled movement, and all the while the aged prostitute gleefully observes, witnessing him find the road out of his crisis.
This scene is a perfect example of utilizing the dance to escape crisis that even Zorba himself would be proud of. It conquers the fear of being emasculated, welcoming the new days of philotimo in. While Forever Young is a cheeky film about two lovers at different ends of their careers, without the dance at the end, the film almost loses its entire meaning. The dance is vital to finding the beauty in the film, just as it is vital to finding beauty in life.
One factor of that representation is the dance. Throughout the film, Zorba dances at different points, each with different meanings behind them. One is for romance, one is for celebration, and, perhaps most powerfully, one is to say that everything will be okay. The final dance, the one that actually ends the film, created an influential scene that resonates still today. The film ends with two men, recently abandoned and nearly destroyed by crisis, dancing their way gleefully around it. They forego the problems of the world to share an air of celebration, that life goes on.
While this idea wasn't exactly new to Greeks, it showed the rest of the world the power the act of dancing possessed. After Zorba released, many films begin utilizing the dance as a symbol for perseverance, celebration, or growth. The dance wasn't just a physical act; it embodied a many-faced movement.
Similarly, the release of Zorba gave the world insight of what it means to be a Greek man. Through his actions, Zorba displayed a style of machismo the rest of the world hadn’t yet seen. Zorba was fast, cunning. He was able to bed any woman and possessed great intellectual strength. He was honorable, which is the one trait necessary to obtaining and keeping his masculinity strong.
In Masculinity and Gender in Greek Cinema, Hadjikyriacou explains this last idea further. He writes, “The constant ambition of a man to keep his timé or augment it through the respect and admiration of the community was called philotimo. Philotimo was a way to lead a virile life and to acquire strong self-esteem, by fulfilling all the obligations towards the family and especially towards the female members” (12). This idea of philotimo and family is extremely important for later films (especially Fox), so be sure to keep this in the back of your mind. Hadjikyriacou goes on, “Thus, a man should always prove himself ‘energetic’, as eneryia [energy] was a principle of masculinity and domination. In addition to being philotimos [having philotimo], a man had to believe in his superiority as an independent male, a kind of self-respect and pride… in the sense of being the head of a collective” (12). In essence, in order to be a man, one must be a good family man, be superior to those around him, and must dominate women. Zorba embodied all of these characteristics, and, because Zorba was such a worldwide phenomenon, the rest of the world demanded that the up-and-coming Greek man must also exhibit this personality. It set the bar extraordinarily high for all men, leaving many men feeling insufficient for not reaching it.
One film that seamlessly integrates both concepts of the dance and philotimo into its story is Forever Young. Forever Young follows one night of two lovers: a timid virgin boy's first time and an experienced prostitute's last night of service. The boy, at first frustrated by not being able to lose his virginity to a woman he endears, finally strikes gold when he sleeps with the veteran prostitute who genuinely appreciates his presence. After they sleep together, the protagonist dances from boy into man, powerfully storming the street with his graceful steps.
In her 2015 journal titled, A Shifting Landscape: Contemporary Greek dance and conditions of crisis, Betina Panagiotara explains how the meaning of dancing has shifted to comment on socio-political crisis in contemporary Greek society. Using multiple examples, she explains how performance combines past and present to try and address the state of society. Panagiotara writes "At this moment of crisis in Greek society or at this ‘moment of danger’, performance may unexpectedly bring to the fore images of the past...that is, by suggesting connections and reflections on the past, or by making it anew, in order to avoid conformism and to propose new engagements and relationships between past and present while forming a sense of sharing or community" (33). By merging decades of knowledge and art together, the dance addresses the political crisis in Greece with new solutions while at the same time providing an outlet for emotion and beauty. Dancing distracts the dancer from the troubles that they bear while simultaneously providing the dancer with the solution.
So, what does this have to do with Forever Young and masculinity? Although the exact idea isn't translatable, the fundamental concept behind dancing to address political crisis fits well into this discussion. The protagonist, Nikos, at the beginning of this film is very clearly in crisis: his brother is bedding multiple women while Nikos cannot find a single worthy companion, leaving him without his timé. He suffers more bad luck when he heads to a brothel and cannot bring himself to sleep with the young prostitute that clearly isn't interested, escalating his crisis to a near boiling point.
While he does end up sleeping with the older prostitute, it's not safe to say that his crisis is positively over. The prostitute, Maria, is clearly retiring from the business, and his connection to a woman only lasts one night. Yet, this is the perfect calling for him to dance. He takes to the street to move, celebrating his step forward while acknowledging not only the troubling past behind him but also the uncertain future ahead. Nikos incorporates all of his experiences and everything he learns over the course of the film into this passion filled movement, and all the while the aged prostitute gleefully observes, witnessing him find the road out of his crisis.
This scene is a perfect example of utilizing the dance to escape crisis that even Zorba himself would be proud of. It conquers the fear of being emasculated, welcoming the new days of philotimo in. While Forever Young is a cheeky film about two lovers at different ends of their careers, without the dance at the end, the film almost loses its entire meaning. The dance is vital to finding the beauty in the film, just as it is vital to finding beauty in life.