An Englishman, Basil, is en route to Crete where he owns a long-disused mine. Along the way, he encounters, befriends, and employs Zorba. Once in Crete, they set about trying to get the mine operational. Basil is quite risk averse, studious, and introverted, while Zorba is extroverted, gregarious, happy-go-lucky, and lives life to the fullest. Over time, Zorba's zestfulness starts to rub off on Basil.
—grantss