King David

Good but lacks the detail to make it great

David is my favorite biblical character aside from JC himself. I never tire of reading the events of his life: the trials & perseverance, the agonies & ecstasies, the successes and failures.

"King David" (1985) stars Richard Gere in the titular role and covers the bulk of the events. You’ll see all the following happenings in the picture:

Samuel's choosing of David as successor to King Saul; Israel's battles with the Philistines; the fight with the hulking Goliath and David's victory with a sling shot; David playing his harp to soothe Saul's torment; Saul's increasing jealousy and hatred of “the man after God’s own heart”; David & Jonathan's brotherly love; David's wandering in the wilderness with his men, fleeing Saul; his stealing of Saul's spear while he sleeps in a cave, sparing him; Saul's suicide; David dancing in his skivvies when the Ark of the Covenant is brought into Jerusalem; Michal's love and, later, hatred of David (as he dances before the LORD); David secretly ogling the nude Bathsheba bathing from his palace roof and the ensuing adultery; David's indirect murder of Uriah (Bathsheba's husband) and Nathan's rebuke; Amnon's rape of his half-sister Tamar; Absalom's justified slaying of his half-brother Amnon; Absalom's stealing of the Israelite's hearts; Absalom's death and David's grieving

The film is worthwhile if you desire to see these numerous events depicted before your eyes. The cast, sets, costumes, locations and filmmaking are for the most part of the highest order for 1985. Edward Woodward is excellent as the jealous and bitter King Saul, even though he lacks Saul's height (as he was a head taller than any other Israelite). Most aspects of the David/Goliath challenge are great, like the troops shown on two separate hills. Cherie Lunghi possesses an intelligent and unique beauty as David’s first wife, Michal, while Alice Krige is beautiful as Bathsheba.

Despite the numerous events...

I never quite understood why Richard Gere became the Hollywood superstar he did, and films like this don't really help. It's a standard production depicting the rise to the throne of Israel of David. We start just as God is getting a bit irked with the behaviour of King Saul (Edward Woodward) and the prophet Samuel (Denis Quilley) decides that the young David is to succeed. The King isn't so impressed with this and so sets about to ruin his would-be successor in the eyes of the army and the people. What now ensues takes us on some biblical adventures including that deadly slingshot moment and as it pitches father against son, an ascension to the throne and some tussles of his own with God - especially surrounding his relationship with Bathsheba (Alice Krige). As sword and sandal epics go, it's all rather ponderous with little by way of any notable acting going on and the soporifically dry adaptation from the Holy Bible isn't exactly setting the bush on fire either. If it serves to get folks to read the original stories from the Old Testament which are usually full of human skullduggery, naughtiness and corrupted souls then maybe it might serve a purpose, but otherwise it's an overlong television movie that looks like money has been spent on the costumes and locations, but that has little else to redeem it.

King David (1985) can feel silly and surreal in retrospect and perhaps even did a little at the time. A future Buddhist plays a legendary Jewish king, and the little cymbal boy that precedes the prophet Samuel (Denis Quilley) anywhere he goes reminded me of Patsy “riding” in front of King Arthur while banging a pair of coconuts together — a reference that would have been only 10 years old when King David was released. Samuel, however, is deadly serious. More importantly, if this were Monty Python and the Holy Grail, God would be Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film.

The latter is what makes King David more interesting than most biblical epics. This is not a story about the literal word of God; it’s a story about men interpreting what they may or may not believe is the God-given law. In the opening scenes, Samuel rebukes King Saul (Edward Woodward) for “robbing the Amalekites of their women and cattle and holding their king” for ransom. Samuel is not about to ask Saul to be less of a dick, though. On the contrary, Samuel says God wants Saul to be an even bigger douche: “Send for my servant Saul and tell him to fall upon the Amalekites and utterly destroy them … Men and women, children, babes in arms, sheep and cattle. Spare nothing from the sword.” Samuel then beheads the Amalekite king on the spot. At least he leads by example.

Samuel claims God has rejected Saul, and goes to choose a new king from Jesse’s (Arthur Whybrow) sons. Samuel makes a show of consulting two small stones until he settles on a young David (Ian Sears). David says what we’re all thinking: “If I stand so well in His sight, let Him command me face to face.”

Thus far, the script appears faithful to the source material — except for the part where God actually briefs Samuel on what He wants done. The implication seems to be that Samuel is calling the shots independently while attributing his decisions to God to lend them more weight, which rings truer to the facts of the case such as they may h...