In most cases, the book is better than the movie. But what about stories adapted from the Holy Bible? In the case of adapting stories from the Bible, filmmakers and writers need to fill in the gaps, often with filler that reflects the time period in which they were made. David and Bathsheba tells the famous story of King David from the Old Testament. This film has the look, budget, and glitz that many of these Biblical epics have. I was delighted to see some philosophical nuance in Henry King’s 1951 film that was nominated for 5 Oscars.
You probably remember the gist of King David’s coveting of his neighbor’s wife, but let’s recap in case it’s been a while since you studied the good book. King David, the one who slayed Goliath, is ruling over Israel when he spots an attractive woman bathing on her rooftop. He inquires of her marital status and finds that she is married to Uriah, a soldier in David’s army. David summons her and the two are immediately attracted to each other. They know they would be breaking the Law of Moses if they were to engage in an extramarital affair. Well, they decide to shoot first and ask questions later, meaning, Bathsheba becomes pregnant with David’s child (Uriah is on the battlefront). In order to avoid a Jerry Springer-type confrontation, David concocts a plan to summon Uriah back home so he can sleep with Bathsheba and mask the pregnancy. Well, Uriah doesn’t end up sleeping with her, so David just sends him to the front line of battle and waits for reports of his death.
Once Uriah is reported dead, David and Bathsheba are married, spurring outcries from his subjects that they are dissatisfied with his leadership and would rather have his sons rule. Following a drought in Israel, David’s and Bathsheba’s baby dies. Nathan, a prophet, tells David that God is not happy with his sin. He will not die as the law demands, but he will be punished through misfortune in his family. David takes responsibility but does what he can to protect Bathsheba. This does not sit well with the people of Israel; they want Bathsheba killed. David makes plans to save Bathsheba, but she tells David she is not blameless. David informs Bathsheba she won’t die and is willing to accept God’s justice. Now repentant, David has some flashbacks to his youth where he was anointed by Samuel and his battle with Goliath. King David then feels rain fall on his dry hands.
As I mentioned, the film does a good job of filling in the gaps that aren’t necessarily written clearly in the original text. For example, King David’s wife Michel makes it clear that David doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Ideas of love and relationships are explored more fully than I expected. The dynamics between David, his wife, and his mistress is on full display here. The camera hones in on David when his eyes land on Bathsheba. His gaze is fixed and unwavering, letting us know how determined he is to meet her.
Following his stalking, Bathsheba is portrayed as an agent in this affair. She notes that David can’t seem to find a woman that pleases him. She sets herself up so they run into each other. She desires to know exactly where he stands, saying if they are to break the Law of Moses, she must know what’s in his heart. She’s contemplative before she goes through with it. She wants a sense of surety with what she’s about to do. This parlays into an undying devotion to David. She promises that she will never run away, stating that all she wants to do is please him. In that regard, she falls into the stereotype of a doting female whose purpose is to serve her man. At once, she is an agent who takes action; she is not acted upon. But once she acts and creates change, she becomes subservient.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely is on full display here. David’s power allows him to manipulate what he sees as pawns in his game of chess. He gets what he wants at every turn…until he doesn’t. As his demands are met, David quite literally turns away from the people he is supposed to be serving. He even grows a beard (gasp!), shedding his clean cut image and opting for a more rugged look, signaling a moral descent. In fact, David is shown in such a poor light, that when the film was released, there were protests in Singapore because the Muslim community, who revere David as an important prophet, were upset with the film’s depiction of the King.
Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward are great as the titular characters here. Their style of acting serves the purpose of the film, and Peck in particular shows off his skills for portraying the arc of David. By the end of the film, David is repentant and has a long, long, long prayer of humility. His relationship with God is touched upon at multiple points throughout the film. It’s clear, but not cloying, where he stands at any given point in the film.
At the end of they day, I enjoyed David & Bathsheba. As always, the production value is top notch. Hollywood used to throw millions of dollars at these epics! They got some big names to act out a story that we all know too well while imbuing it with nuance and respect. If you’re looking for some old time religion on your movie screen, you can’t go wrong with this one.
