Customer Reviews

King David

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

When this film was released in 1985, the critics were not kind, but I love this film, and think it's a good telling of the story of David, based on I and II Samuel, I Chronicles, and the Psalms. Though much of it has been compressed (David's relationship with Bathsheba is limited mostly to the consequences of it for instance) and some creative license used for plot continuity, it has a tremendous amount of Biblical accuracy.
Taking place from 1000 to 961 B.C., the costuming, sets, and artifacts are fabulous; filmed in Pinewood Studios, U.K., and on location in Italy, the cinematography by Donald McAlpine is wonderful. The score is also lovely, by Carl Davis.

The brief nudity in the wedding chamber sequence has in my tape, been darkened so as to be imperceptible; either this is a flaw in the tape, or an effort not to offend and capture a wider audience, which would be silly, as this is a very mature drama. It contains much brutal violence making it unsuitable for children, and the confrontation with Goliath for example (which is exceptionally well done), is one of four beheadings.
Richard Gere is a marvelous David, and stands up well against an excellent international cast. He was thirty-five when this was filmed, and is about as handsome as a human has a right to be. The actor who shines above all though is Edward Woodward as Saul. He is riveting, and it's a brilliant character study of courage mixed with jealousy, revenge, and madness.

This is far from being a "Big Bible Epic" with lots of well known stars, instead it's serious and beautifully acted, and perhaps arrived on the scene at the wrong time, that it was so unappreciated two decades ago. Total running time is 114 minutes.
"It is through the heart, the heart alone, that God speaks to man".

This can by no means claim to be a perfect depiction of the biblical story of King David but it is by no means a lost cause either. It is a pretty fair little drama. Some license has been taken with the scriptural story but it is more faithful than most film adaptations. It is also a pretty good movie.

This film tells the story of King David, the successor to King Saul and the founder of the Davidic line. It begins by showing Saul's disobedience and goes from there to David's anointing as king. Even so, David will not lift his hand against Saul who is also an anointed king. The film demonstrates David's strengths as well as his weaknesses. He was a good man after God' own heart but he was by no means perfect. He pays for that imperfection.

This film is NOT the place to learn scripture but it does communicate the fundamentals of the story rather well and does so in a very viewable manner. It was enjoyable.

Richard Gere conforms gloriously to the role of David. His countenance changes and he makes for a fabulous King David. And Ian Sears made the perfect young King David. The story begins with the life of a lowly shepherd boy whose bravery and faith in his God ascend him to the throne of ancient Israel. Telling the legend from David's battle with Goliath, to his self-destructive love for Bathsheba, to the anointing of his son Solomon by the prophet Nathan to be the King Of Israel. This was a very interesting making of the life of King David. I would enjoy seeing it again.

What a fantastic and interesting way to bring this story of the bible to life. I recommend this movie to both my Christian and non-Christian friends alike. It brings David to life beyond the basic 'David and Goliath' story. It vividly portrays his successes and faults making him a bible character we can all relate to. But like many other religious films, it inspires you to look at your life and try harder. You leave the film wanting to be like David in his good times and avoid the mistakes he made during his bad times. A film beautifully done that is both inspiring and enjoyable to watch!

Fantastic Art Direction, High Production Values, and a Superb Cast and Crew make this film the most visually accurate Old Testament Story ever given the Big Screen Treatment. Whoever was the technical advisor for this film did an excellent job in recreating the period. Edward Woodward is Outstanding as Saul (most of the cast is British, which lends a certain archaic dignity to the dialogue). Richard Gere also does a great job as King David.
If you have a passion for Biblical or Historical Epics - this one delivers! The battle scenes (which are very well choreographed), chariot charges, and of course the duel between David and Goliath are all 'edge of the seat', 'toe curling action'
I really cannot praise this film too much!

I have to admit that at first I did not know what to expect from this film, but as it turns out it was a very pleasant surprise.
The movie sheds light on ancient Israel's kings Saul and David. In the process it deals with the dangerous fanatics of the time like the "prophet" Samuel who disapproved firstly of the appointment of any king since that would take away power from him and from the priesthood (the official excuse being that it would be offensive since god is the only "king"), and of King Saul for "daring" to go against the vengeful Yahweh and negotiate a peace treaty with enemies as well as kill only the men and keep women and children as slaves, when according to Yahweh all "heathens" must be put to the sword and/or decapitated. Lovely...
The film does a great job of describing life during the 10th century BC in Canaan, as well as the superstition, the fanaticism, and the fundamentalism that were so prevalent.
In addition, there is a very good portrayal of Saul as a weak king, constantly undermined by the priesthood and unable to unite the people behind him.
Conflicts, disputes, feuds, and back stabbings are all about.
What I found especially interesting is how brutal and exclusive they were (something which for years has been purposely hidden). So well done to this film for doing the obvious i.e. accurately presenting what one really encounters in the Old Testament for a change instead of all these inaccurate happy-happy films that we are so used to seeing.
Richard Gere, Edward Woodward, Alice Krige, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, it allows for a thought-provoking movie that can be watched over and over again!
The setting, the dialogues and the music are all wonderful!
In short, King David is a movie definitely worth watching, as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment! 4 1/2 Stars

I was stationed overseas at Incirlk AFB, Turkey in 1988 when I rented this film from the very limited selection of the Base Video Rental Store. I had started to read the Bible seriously at that time and I rented this film to give me some idea of "Bible Times". I thought the film to be not that bad. Edward Woodword is outstanding as Saul. In my book...he steals the show from the deadpan Gere. You can tell he is a classicaly trained English actor and very professional. There is one scene when Saul is describing his relationship with God "He [God] struggles with man during his life....but when you look for him He is gone". Woodword gives a intense portrayal of a mentally overcome Saul struggling with his own sin and guilt. It is worth buying the film just for Woodwords performance if you ask me.
If you can get over Mical's (Saul's Daughter) boobs and Bathsheba's nude bathing scene...then this is not that bad of a film. Compared with the Passion of the Christ it is downright campy.

This is not the bomb it was purported to be when it was first released in the 1980's. This features Gere's best work, and an excellent supporting cast. The biblical epic genre has not been revived since this film except on TV, so have a look at a real film with real acting and directing. One problem: the second half does turn a little superficial, and if a film ever deserved an R rating instead of a PG-13, this is the one. What was the MPAA thinking??

While most movies take artistic license to the extreme, I felt this movie for the most part stayed the course of being accurate. I could go over the obvious mistakes but I don't think it strayed that much. At first I was more enthralled at Gere's performance as David the boy rising to be king. But, the more I watched it, I honed in on the fall of Saul. How a man's envy lead to his total ruin.

Of course, Gere is into the Dali Lama stuff now, but maybe he did this picture before he went into this area. I remember seeing this movie when it first came out and it still keeps my attention to this day.

Again, you might have to overlook the obvious small areas that weren't accurate, but the overall story is intact.

This is an excellent video that accurately depicts the highlights of the Biblical story of King David! Although it is a wonderful pleasure just to sit and watch, we have also used it for Bible study classes and found it an extremely valuable tool in understanding the many events that surrounded the life this man "after God's own heart". ENJOY!