David and Bathsheba

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Right from the opening bars of Alfred Newman's (overpowering) score, this has Darryl F. Zanuck all over it. Rousing music, grand structures, glittering costumes and a cast that, well, must have had spare capacity on their contracts. Taken - at times verbatim - from the biblical books of Samuel, this installs Gregory Peck as the famed King David (he of Goliath fame) who is rather unhappily wed to Michal (Jayne Meadows) with two children about whom he is, at best,"relaxed". Each day from his terrace he espies the glamorous wife of the captain of his guard, and one evening gets his loyal factotum Abishai (James Robertson Justice) to summon "Bathsheba" (Susan Hayward) to come and have dinner. Fairly promptly, we realise that the two have the hots for each other and with her husband "Uriah" (Kieron Moore) almost always away defending king and country, opportunity for the pair beckons readily. She becomes pregnant and so the king has to think on his feet. Can he bring the husband back and perhaps pass the baby off as his? If not - he must marry her and that means finding a legitimate way to dispose of poor old "Uriah". Needless to say, and as pointed out by the sagely "Nathan" (Raymond Massey), the Lord is less than pleased with this sinful behaviour and soon the rivers are running dry and the populace are on the verge of starvation and revolution. Can David appease his vengeful God? Can he save his (now) wife from a stoning? Cecil B. DeMille this isn't, and Peck - I thought - is hopelessly mis-cast. He is way too wooden and has too much of a decent American about him to carry this off. Hayward is better, she carries her role a bit more naturally but JRJ as an Hebrew butler and Massey as an harbinger of doom don't really work at all. What this did point out to me, as did the bible verses when I read them aeons ago - was just how unpleasant the "Lord" could actually be to his flock. Here are David and Bathsheaba having all the fun and yet it is the innocent people, the children, the animals who are punished. Surely he could have found a more direct way of retribution? Anyway, this film does look good but proceeds far too slowly and lethargically to really engage and at just shy of two hours, I was well and truly ready for the Heavenly chorus at the end.

I have to admit that I greatly enjoy the swords-and-sandals genre, whether of Christianity or of other types. This was solidly directed by King and had strong performances by Peck, Hayward and Massey, and was greatly touching at the end when David discovers the overwhelming and incredible power of forgiveness, particularly he of himself. Heartily recommended--it deserved its five Oscar nominations, even though it wasn't much of a cinematic year, to be sure.