"King David" (1985) presents a good overview of the biblical figure’s life, though it falls short of greatness due to its rushed pacing. I find David to be one of my favorite characters in the Bible, and I always enjoy exploring his story—the challenges he faced, his moments of triumph and despair, his successes and failures. The film stars Richard Gere as King David and attempts to cover a significant portion of his life events. Viewers will witness Samuel’s selection of David as Saul's successor, Israel’s conflicts with the Philistines, David’s victory over Goliath using a slingshot, his harp playing to soothe Saul, Saul’s growing jealousy and animosity toward David, the close bond between David and Jonathan, David's time fleeing Saul in the wilderness, his deception of Saul by stealing his spear, Saul’s death, David’s celebratory dance with the Ark of the Covenant, Michal’s shifting feelings towards David, David’s affair with Bathsheba, David’s manipulation leading to Uriah's demise, Nathan’s reprimand, Amnon’s assault on Tamar, Absalom’s revenge killing of Amnon, Absalom stealing the hearts of the Israelites, Absalom's death and David’s grief. The film is worth watching if you want a visual representation of these events. The production values—including the costumes, sets, locations, and filmmaking techniques—were quite high for 1985. Edward Woodward delivers an excellent performance as the jealous King Saul, though he isn't quite as tall as the Bible describes him to be. Certain scenes, such as the depiction of the armies on separate hills during the David/Goliath encounter, are particularly well-executed. Cherie Lunghi portrays Michal with a distinctive beauty and intelligence, while Alice Krige is lovely as Bathsheba. Despite covering so much ground in David’s life, the film clocks in at just 1 hour and 50 minutes. This brevity feels restrictive; the story arguably requires closer to three hours to fully explore the numerous characters and happenings. As a result, it can be difficult for some viewers to connect with the people involved and their stories. The movie has a somewhat lackluster feel. It lacks the grand spectacle of something like "The Ten Commandments," opting instead for a more realistic approach. Gere is well-suited as David, who was described in the Bible as handsome and robust. However, his passionate nature—the essence of being “a man after God’s own heart”—is only occasionally shown; it's evident in moments like his work on a model of the Temple, but missing from others, such as the fight with Goliath, which lacks the fervor and righteous anger found in the biblical text. The film also omits the verbal sparring between David and Goliath before their battle, making the confrontation feel underwhelming. While generally accurate to the source material, there are some inaccuracies—such as Goliath issuing the challenge himself rather than through a messenger, David gathering stones beforehand instead of during the fight, and Absalom’s delay in avenging Amnon's actions. These alterations were likely made for dramatic effect or to shorten the film. One criticism has been that the movie portrays Bathsheba as partly responsible for her seduction by David. However, both individuals bear equal blame. Given that everyone knew the king remained behind while his troops fought, Bathsheba was presumably aware that he might see her bathing on a nearby rooftop. Furthermore, she could have refused his advances later on. It seems clear she was attracted to David and willing to engage with him. I’ve watched "King David" four times and still find it enjoyable. It's a well-made film for its time, though the ending feels abrupt. The movie tries to cover too much material in its short runtime, leaving viewers feeling disconnected from the characters and events beyond David, especially those unfamiliar with the biblical story. Don’t pay attention to those who give this film very low ratings—they are mistaken. It's a good movie; it just doesn't have enough detail to be truly great. I would gladly watch "King David" over an overrated film like “Braveheart.” The production took place in Italy and utilized Pinewood Studios in London for studio work. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB