Never on Sunday (1960)

Never on Sunday (Pote tin Kyriaki)
Directed by Jules Dassin
Written by Jules Dassin
1960/Greece/USA
Lopert Pictures Corporation/Melinafilm
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime

[box] Homer: Because you are the whole world. Beautiful and corrupt.[/box]

Only a doting husband could create a hooker this happy.

American Homer Thrall (Jules Dassin) is an amateur philosopher in thrall to Ancient Greece.  He visits the modern equivalent to discover how his idealized past could have fallen so far.  When he gets there, he finds his project encapsulated in the person of independent, fiery prostitute Ilya (Melina Mercouri).  Although Ilya is contented and even joyous in her profession, Homer takes it upon himself to attempt to “educate” and “save” her.

At the same time, there are two other men who are trying to reform Ilya.  They are her Italian client and lover Tonio, who wants her all to himself, and “No Face”, who runs a stable of prostitutes that are encouraged in rebellion by Ilya’s independence.  All these men might just as well try to tame Mother Nature.

The best parts of this movie are the exuberant Greek music and dance and the unrestrained performance by Mercouri.  The worst is Dassin’s casting of himself in the male lead.  He really cannot act.  His performance aside, the movie is thoroughly entertaining.

Never on Sunday won the Oscar for Best Music, Originial Song for its title tune.  The film was nominated in the categories of Best Actress; Best Director; Best Writing, Story and Strcreenplay – Written Directly for the Screen; and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

Trailer