Main Cast: Richard Gere, Alice Krige, Edward Woodward, Denis Quilley, Niall Buggy, Jack Klaff
Release Year: 1985
Country: UK/US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Director Bruce Beresford has safely stayed within the domain of the Bible and not strayed into patches of Hollywood fiction in this routine version of the story of David (Richard Gere). For that reason, anyone unfamiliar with Biblical history might be puzzled by the episodic presentation of David's life. In the opening scenes, Samuel condemns Saul and anoints the young David as his heir, and in fairly quick succession David slays Goliath, incurs Saul's jealous wrath, leaves, and, much later, comes back to rule after Saul has died. Once David is on the throne, Bathsheba and then Absalom enter into the picture. Interspersed are brutal scenes of fighting, but not much in the way of motivation for David's complex behavior. Gaps in the narration or unclear motivation may be the result of trying to cover too many events in a 114-minute running time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Cherie Lunghi - Michal; Jean-Marc Barr - Absalom; Ian Sears - Young David; Hurd Hatfield - Ahimelech; John Castle - Abner; Tim Woodward - Joab; David de Keyser - Ahitophel; Gina Bellman - Tamar; Simon Dutton - Eliab; Peter Frye - Judean Elder; John Gabriel - Jehosaphat; John Hallam - Philistine Armor Bearer; Christopher Malcolm - Doeg; Marino Masé - Agag; Valentine Pelka - Shammah; Lorenzo Piani - Guardian; Massimo Sarchielli - Palastu; Arthur Whybrow - Jesse; David George - Messenger; David Graham - Ephraimite Elder; Anton Alexander - Runner; Genevieve Allenbury - Ahinoam; Shimon Avidan - Young Absalom; John Barrard - Benjamite Elder; Ishia Bennison - Maacah; Jason Carter - Solomon; James Coombes - Amnon; Mark Drewry - Ishbosheth; Jenny Lipman - Abigail; James Lister - Uriah; Luigi Montefiore - Goliath; Michael Mueller - Abinadab; Aiche Nana - Ahinoab; Roberta Renna - Zabad; Nicholas VanDer Weide - Young Solomon; Ned Vukovic - Malchishua; Irene Lamb
Credit
Terry Ackland-Snow - Art Director, Aurelio Crugnola - Art Director, Eleanor Fazan - Choreography, Carl Davis - Conductor, John Mollo - Costume Designer, Bruce Beresford - Director, William M. Anderson - Editor, Carl Davis - Composer (Music Score), Christopher Warnon-Green - Musical Direction/Supervision, Stuart Freeborn - Makeup, Ken Adam - Production Designer, Lucio Trentini - Production Designer, John Davis - Production Designer, Donald M. McAlpine - Cinematographer, Robin Vidgeon - Cinematographer, Martin Elfand - Producer, Franco Fumagalli - Set Designer, Peter Howitt - Set Designer, Sergio Mioni - Stunts, James Costigan - Screen Story, Andrew Birkin - Screenwriter, James Costigan - Screenwriter, Peter Childs - Draftsman
In the Bible (I Samuel 17:40), David chooses five smooth stones from the riverbed, before the battle with Goliath. In the movie, he scampers at the last moment to grab any stones from the ground.
According to I Samuel 17, the stone David slung sank into Goliath's forehead (I Samuel 17:49). In the movie, it bounces off his forehead.
In the Bible, David escapes from the palace of King Achish of Gath by feigning madness. (I Samuel 21). The movie reverses this, and has David gaining access to Achish - who apparently does not have enough madmen yet - by pretending to be insane.
According to the Bible, Queen Michal scolds David for his dance before the Ark of the Covenant using sarcasm: "How glorious was the King of Israel today!". In the movie, the sarcasm disappears, and Michal says simply and coldly: "I saw no king."
"I live in a house of cedar," David says, quoting the Bible - but the house shown in the movie is made of carved stone - ashlar - not cedar.
In the Bible, David is denied the honor of building the Temple because he has shed too much blood - most notoriously that of Uriah. In the movie, the problem is that he has not shed enough blood: He has not exterminated the Canaanites.
In the film, near the end of his life David smashes a model of the future Temple in anger, and among his last words to his son urge him not to trust priests. Neither action appears in the Bible.
The last words of David to his son Solomon are totally different in the film from those recorded in the Bible.
Other inaccuracies
The swords used by King Saul's armies bear a heavy resemblance to swords of Roman design rather than those of the Semitic nations of the time.
The Star of David is used as the symbol of the Hebrew kingdom during Saul's reign.
The Philistines are shown as using Minoan-style architecture. There is no archaeological basis for this.
The Minoans portray their men as clean-shaven in their own murals. The Prst - commonly believed to be the Philistines - physically similar to the Minoans - are also seen as clean-shaven in Egyptian murals. However, the Philistines in the film under discussion are fully bearded.
