DAVID

DAVID is a television special about the great King of Israel, who served as the benchmark for all other kings of Israel. This two part program forms the 11th and 12th installment of a 21 part series on the Old Testament produced by RAI in Italy, KirchGroup in Germany, Turner Pictures in the U.S., and several other international entities. This ambitious series, dedicated to dramatizing stories from the Old Testament, has produced some great successes, especially JOSEPH, and some episodes that have been severely wanting in production and entertainment value. Despite some noticeable budgetary constraints, DAVID is one of the better productions.

DAVID opens with Saul being anointed as the first King of Israel by Samuel. Although Saul is pleased that he has been chosen, he refuses to be completely obedient to God. After he fails to obey God’s command to execute all the Amalekites, including King Agag, Saul is reprimanded by Samuel who informs Saul that God will anoint another as the king of Israel. Saul is attacked by an evil spirit as Samuel goes off to find the youngest son of Jesse, the shepherd boy, David. God is pleased with David because David seeks after God’s heart.

To help calm King Saul, his ministers bring David into Saul’s court to play the harp and sing for Saul. It is clear that in Saul’s court, David has an unique opportunity to learn how to govern a nation. After David has succeeded many times at everything he attempts, Saul realizes that David is the anointed, and so Saul plots to kill David, and David narrowly escapes. Eventually, Saul and his sons are killed in battle, and David is appointed King of Israel. Regrettably, David also neglects God’s commands and lusts after Bathsheba, sowing the seeds of many trials and tribulations.

DAVID follows closely the biblical text, especially the dialogue, and makes God the central figure of the story. Miracles happen, God is clearly in control and a biblical worldview is presented in the two-part program. Moreover, the story of David has everything that Hollywood enjoys: namely sex and violence; however, both are treated discreetly by the filmmakers.

The disappointing aspects of this faithful adaptation may have been the result of budgetary constraints: Saul’s mighty army looks like a small rag-tag band of outlaws; battle sequences are truncated and puny; Goliath is about the same height as David and not the nine-foot giant of Scripture; and, the settings don’t have the opulence that Saul and David would have accumulated. These intimate and reduced stagings of the biblical history will cause some to complain. However, looking beyond its limitations, DAVID presents a very faithful portrait and a powerful morality tale. This epic program clearly tells us what happens to those who do not obey God and clearly presents God’s justice and His grace.

Jonathan Pryce plays a memorable Saul, although he is not as young as the Saul of the Bible. Leonard Nimoy is terrific as Samuel. Nathaniel Parker does a much better job as David than Richard Gere did in the 1985 movie version, KING DAVID, although it seems that dancing in the spirit is not something that actors can easily perform. For instance in the ironic epic starring Richard Gere, most critics pointed out his pathetic dancing in their scathing reviews of the movie. Here, the dancing by Saul and David is not much better. Perhaps, these actors should attend a few Pentecostal services or take lessons from Robert Duvall.

In the final analysis, it has always been difficult to translate Bible stories to the TV or silver screens, and so everyone involved in the production of DAVID should be commended for attempting to present the truth of Scripture in a dramatic manner. Perhaps the best way to enjoy this production is to read the appropriate sections of the Bible first (I Samuel 15 through I Kings) and then watch the video. Compare the Scripture with the program and learn more about God and His story.