Ehirerapp Waste of time

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

WordWeaver777 If there is one piece of advice I can give to any Christian who chooses to watch Hollywood-made, Bible-based movies, it is this: Do not expect 100% scriptural accuracy, because you will rarely find it in such movies. If you embrace this attitude beforehand, you will enjoy Hollywood's version of Biblical history more.This film is no different. While it covers the key points regarding the illicit relationship which occurred between King David and Bathsheba, a number of the events in David's life are out of chronological order.For example, we see flashbacks of David as a young shepherd boy being anointed by the Prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel, and then David as a slightly older youth killing the Philistine giant Goliath, in the closing moments of the film.To incorporate these moments of David's life into the movie, a bit of fiction is employed. These visions -- or whatever they were meant to be -- occur while King David has his hands placed upon the side of the Ark of the Covenant and is asking God for His mercy and forgiveness, after his sins are exposed by the Prophet Nathan. Scripturally-speaking, this would never occur; because as even the movie reveals, anyone who touched the Ark died.Furthermore, as I have seen in other movies of this genre, sometimes words are placed in the mouth of one character, when they were actually said by someone else in the Bible.Regarding this particular movie, a case in point concerns King David's decision to place Uriah the Hittite in the hottest part of the battle against the Ammonites so that he will die. This movie would have us to believe that it was actually Uriah's idea to do this, because he desired to show David his loyalty and bravery. The truth, however, is that it was David's idea, because he wanted Uriah to die, so that he -- meaning David -- could conceal his sin of adultery, and getting Bathsheba pregnant. In short, David committed outright murder.Another departure from the actual Scriptures occurs when following the death of Bathsheba's firstborn -- who was fathered by David -- the Prophet Nathan and the people demand that Bathsheba be stoned to death, according to the mandates of the Mosaic Law. While this was indeed the punishment for committing adultery, the Bible makes no mention of this concerning Bathsheba. What we are told in the Scriptures is that their punishment was losing their child, as well as the fact that war and treason would never depart from David's house, being as he had an innocent man killed.This film also paints a very hostile relationship between David and Michal, who was King Saul's daughter who became David's first wife. While the Bible does inform us that Michal was a jealous woman, and that God struck her barren because of it, it makes no mention of her -- or Absalom -- standing up as witnesses so that David's lie could be exposed, and so that Bathsheba would be stoned. These were simply fictitious plot devices.While I have enjoyed some of Gregory Peck's work -- such as "Moby Dick", "To Kill a Mockingbird", etc -- I didn't care for the way he portrayed King David. Peck plays a very dark, scheming, sarcastic, manipulative David. In particular, I didn't like his disrespectful attitude towards Nathan the Prophet, and the way that he doubted God's Word being spoken through Nathan. David came across as being quite snobbish.Of course, I recognize that perhaps Peck played David this way in order to emphasize how far he had strayed from the Lord once he had achieved fame, riches and power. This was in contrast to the more humble David we see praying to the Lord before the Ark of the Covenant near the end of the film.All in all, "David and Bathsheba" was an okay movie; but I can't say that I was really connected to any of the characters, and it didn't really excite me. In fact, I think I enjoyed the 1997 "David" TV movie with Nathaniel Parker, Jonathan Pryce, Leonard Nimoy, Franco Nero and Sheryl Lee, more than this one. To each his own.

readerguy I'm surprised this film doesn't get more recognition. Possibly the best of the old classic bible films. Excellent cinematography and effects considering it was filmed in 1951. Gregory Peck is believable and excellent as King David. The dialogue is a bit trite at times, but still generally strong. Susan Hayward is beautiful and solid in her role as Bathsheba, and Raymond Massey is a delight as Nathan. A bit plodding at times, but an engaging telling of one of the most famous stories of all time. The scenes of David playing the harp while reciting the 23rd Psalm and the David and Goliath scene must have a challenge to put on film, but they are amazingly well done. A moving story, a classic movie.

Spikeopath David and Bathsheba is a lavish Hollywood Biblical picture produced out of 20th Century Fox by Darryl F. Zanuck, directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck {King David}, Susan Hayward (Bathsheba), Raymond Massey (Nathan), Kieron Moore (Uriah) and Jayne Meadows (Michal).The film is based around the second Old Testament book of Samuel from the Holy Bible. It follows King David, who as a child had slain the giant Goliath, and now we find him in adulthood as the second King of Israel. A tough and assured King, David however has affairs of the heart causing great problems. For once he spies Bathsheba taking a shower {re;bath}, it 's the start of a journey encompassing adultery and betrayal; a journey that will end in the judgement of God being called upon.Typically for the genre, David & Bathsheba is a large, grandiose production. From its excellent set designs to it's positively gorgeous Technicolor photography {Leon Shamroy}, it has enough quality to warrant sitting along side the best the genre has to offer as regards production values. Untypically, tho, the film is sedately paced and relies on 99% of its worth being driven purely by dialogue. This is not one for action fans or anyone who needs some swash to go with their buckle. This is a very humanist picture, in fact lets not beat around the burning bush here, it's a Biblical love story flecked with sins of the heart. But that is no bad thing at all, because breaking it down we find it's very well acted {Peck has a stoic yet vulnerable thing going on real well & Hayward is pushing it to the max}, and it be a fine story directed with knowing skill by the often forgotten Henry King. And although some of the dialogue is admittedly cringe inducing, the character flow is never interrupted as Phillip Dunne's (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) Oscar nominated screenplay holds the attention throughout.Sometimes a forgotten picture in terms of the Biblical/Swords & Sandals genres (most likely because it is a talky piece that has heart as its main selling point), but really it's well worth the time of anyone interested in the most lavish of genres. 7/10

ozthegreatat42330 Other than Susan Hayward's wooden delivery throughout this film it was as good as any biblical film made. Henry King handles this film with the respect of an epic in all of the small scenes, and Peck is, as always, impeccable. The stirring Alfred Newman sound score, with the stirring twenty-third psalm is unforgettable even after these many years. The scene with Goliath is a bit on the hokey side, but not all that badly done for the era in which this film was made. This goes well alongside the lesser bible epics of the day, "The Song of Ruth" and "Esther and the King." It is worth watching, and Raymond Massy is excellent as the prophet Nathan. The film is rounded out by the always fine James Robertson Justice as Abishai and Jayne Meadows as Michol, David's estranged first wife.