The film focuses the epic David-life (1010-970 B.C.) , retelling his complicated family relationship (rebellion his son Absalom ) and generally tackling the intricacies of his love story with Bathsheba . He's a very human figure who is recorded in the Bible (Samuel, Books 1 and 2), conqueror Jerusalen and author of the Psalms . It tells from the prophet Samuel (Raymond Massey) appointed him , when after in his kingdom Saul (Francis X Bushman) and his son Jonathan were vanquished by Philistines . When Saul was murdered by a blade slashed himself, David (Peck) claimed his reign by right of his marriage to Saul's daughter(Jane Meadows) . The continued threat and domination of invaders countries forced the Jewish tribes uniting under a strong king : David. He's specially recorded for his acquisition of his favorite spouse , Bathsheba (Susan Hayward), though he had a harem , too . The new wife was accomplished by sending her husband named Uria (Kieron Moore) the Hitita , a warrior serving as mercenary, into way in war. His throne was marred by the habitual dynastic fights between his sons , Absalom (Barnett) killed Ammon and after rebelled and was murdered . There are also developed various events about David-life , such as the arrival in Jerusalen the Ark of the Covenant with supernatural qualities ; David playing harp , in fact , David had entered Saul's household as a sort of musical therapist , the Hebrew politics intrigues and pitting against the Old Testament wrath of the Prophet Nathan and , of course , David- Goliath fighting is seen in flashback , defeating with a throwing wave a ten-foot-tall Philistine giant . Later rebellion Absalon and killing Ammon , succeeded Salomon , son of Bathseba , he inherited the reign at David'death and became himself a major king of Israel , building the famous temple of Salomon where held the Ark . David and Salomon were the two great kings of Israel.
Interesting Biblical story with emotion , rousing battles , an intense drama about love and hatred , being some moments proceeded in slow moving pace . And including the legendary biblical fight between David and Goliath is well featured in the movie by means of flashbacks . The film's story from the Bible was based upon its books of Samuel I and II, Chronicles I and the Psalms of David . Very good acting by main cast , Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward ; Peck stated that the movie was written as an attack on McCarthyism, which he strongly opposed . This Biblical epic contains good set decoration and art direction (Thomas Little , Lyle Weeler, George Davis) but is a little boring and dull with long speeches that it makes stately pace , especially when David is praying in the Tabernacle where is the Ark of Covenant . The movie gets a colorful cinematography and evocative music score by the classic Alfred Newman . The motion picture was professionally directed by Henry King. His direction is well crafted , here he develops a thought-provoking and broody screenplay . He was a expert on compelling Adventure/Western genre . Henry King directed classic Western as ¨ Jesse James(1939)¨, ¨The gunfighter(1950)¨ and ¨The Bravados¨¨ (1958) with Peck again . Koster was specialist on Adventure genre as proved in ¨Untamed¨ , ¨Captain King¨ , ¨Captain of Castilla¨ , ¨Black Swan¨ , ¨Stanley and Livingstone¨ ¨and many others .
Other films about this Biblical king are the following : ¨David and Goliat¨ (1961) by Ferdinando Baldi with Orson Welles as King Saul , Ivo Payer as David and Edward Hilton as Prophet Samuel ; ¨A Story of David¨ (1961) with Jeff Chandler , Basil Sidney and Donald Pleasence , ¨King David¨ (1985) by Bruce Beresford with Richard Gere , Alice Krige , Dennis Quilley , Jean Marc Bar and Edward Woodward . And ¨The Story of David¨ (1976) (TV) by David Lowell Rich with Timothy Bottoms , Anthony Quayle , ¨David¨ (1997) TV by Robert Markowitz with Nathaniel Parker as David , Jonathan Pryce as Saul , Leonard Nimoy as Samuel , Sheryl Lee as Bathsheba and Ben Daniels as Jonathan
