the world after Homer. Unlike Homer, however, his works are more famous for
being filmed rather than for actually being read. Two of his novels, ‘Zorba the
Greek’ and ‘The last temptation’ where made into successful films, though the
latter attracted perhaps more criticism than movie-goers. The book itself had
already been placed on the index of forbidden books by the Vatican in 1954
and Martin Scorcese’s film adaptation (called ‘The last temptation of Christ’)
sparked controversy again.
I decided to read something else from this intriguing Cretan writer, something
a bit closer to his own heart and experiences (though ‘Zorba’ was also partially
based on his own experiences). ‘Freedom and death’ (the Greek title is ‘O
Kapetan Mihalis’) is about the struggle for freedom from Turkish oppression by
the Cretans in the nineteenth century. It centres on the inhabitants of
Megalokastro (present-day Heraklion, Crete’s capital) and more specifically on
the cantankerous but fearless Captain Michales, who is reportedly based on
Kazantzakis’ own father. Kazantzakis has described his ‘Freedom and death’ as
a modern-day ‘Iliad’, and it is indeed as epic a war story as Homer’s, though
there are only thematic similarities. Kazantzakis’ story is not a retelling or
update of the Iliad in a more modern setting, also because that would mean
Megalokastro (as Troy in the Iliad) would have to be defeated and subjugated
to foreign rule. Rather the contrary is the case here: Megalokastro, as the rest
of Crete, has suffered under the yoke of the Venetians and then the Turks for
centuries already and fights not in its defence (since it has already been taken)
but for its liberation.
‘Freedom or death’ was the slogan of the Cretan resistance fighters, though
in their struggles they obtained more of the latter than the former. There had
already been uprisings against the Turks in 1854, 1866 and 1878 and many
partisans found their death in these uprisings. The Turks kept the upper hand
in each of the uprisings, though they also created bonds of camaraderie
amongst surviving Cretans who would never have spoken to each other in
normal life.
Captain Michales is one of the most fearless palikares (‘warriors’) on the
Cretan side, and in a previous uprising he made a pact with a Turkish bey, who
he has made his blood-brother. They both swore that they would not kill each
other, though with new rebellions breaking out, Nuri Bey and Michales will face
each other once again. Will they remain men of honour or will they defend their
own side at all costs, breaking their singular treaty they signed with their blood?
Kazantzakis brilliantly evokes both city-life and the goings-on in the country.
Writing about his beloved Crete, the island comes to life in an incredible
whirlwind of sights, sounds, smells and stories. The major characters are all
fully-drawn, vivid and true-to-life whilst a never-ending gallery of minor
characters populates the streets, districts and villages and thus provides the
backdrop against which the major struggles play out. ‘Freedom and death’ is
truly epic in scope and the themes it knows to interweave into its narrative. The
struggle between the Turks and the Cretans is really a struggle between
Muslims and Christians and as such it is very contemporary. Kazantzakis, much
as Homer did, shows us that there are winners and losers on both sides of
every struggle, and ‘Freedom or death’ in Crete became 'Freedom through
death' only after a prolonged, blood-soaked struggle.
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