David and Goliath (1960) User Reviews (20)

David and Goliath on TBN

[happipuppi13 · 6/10 · 17 August 2007]

It was one of those nights when there was absolutely nothing good on TV. I went through many channels on my TV and landed on Trinity Broadcasting Network. I do on occasion watch TBN but usually for Robert Schuller or maybe when I feel I need extra inspiration.

This movie began and "David and Goliath" was all I needed to see to stay tuned,along with reading the story as a boy and the fact Orson Welles plays Saul. (I wonder if that was "his" voice in the English dubbing?) Cetainly if any film needs a good restoration this one really needs it. I think it would be a lot more enjoyable if it were.

Welles does a great service to this film and I don't think there ever was a film that didn't benefit from his presence (even The Muppett Movie featured Welles!) Aside from the grandeur that is Orson,is some good storytelling but some of the unfortunate liberties movie makers seem to take with biblical stories.

First there's David himself,with the curly locks and and looking like a muscle bound cross between Michael Landon or Kurt Russell. (Acoording to IMDb the actor who plays him passed away August 17th,2006 oddly enough). David also has a first love who apparently,according to a wise old man,was taken from him by a flash of lightning in a rainstorm for God's higher purpose. Of course she had dreamed the other night that she was taken far from their land,quite a coincidence.

As we know,David has been chosen by God to one day replace Saul as the King Of Isreal and tired and worn out looking Saul's not about to take it. David arrives in Isreal sees sin after sin taking place in the streets (one female dancer looks like she stepped off a burlesque stage) and (amazingly) gets the entire mass in the streets to quiet down.

Just long enough for him to give a speech about their sins and basically that it's an abomination before God and how it's Saul's lack of leadership that's led to it.

You'd think a young man who'd just arrived in a city and starts shooting his mouth off would get stones thrown at him but,no they all cheer for him. One of Saul's guards approaches David and David gives him one heck a blow to the head with his fist! leading to David being given Sanctuary by the church.

Meanwhile,another king is threatening to overtake Saul and have both his country and Isreal. (The English voice for this king sounds like a guy from the tough side of Chicago!)His lackey offers to draft the giant monster of a man Goliath (I'm guessing 10ft. tall or more)to help defeat Saul and his armies. (The lackey sounds like Ernest T. Bass from The Andy Griffith Show.) In one funny scene Goliath picks him up off the ground (in an obvious clay figure moment).

Anyhow David is finally brought before Saul and as would happen,he takes a liking to Saul daughter and becomes Saul's ally (although Saul doesn't know it yet.) Then we get to the battles between the two kingdoms and what we tuned in for to begin with. To see David take out Goliath with his "sling-shot". (A stretchy piece of material with a cradle for the rock).

A good deal of this movie mirrors The Ten Commandmants but certainly isn't on that grand level. Mostly just in plot point and look:Leader trying to stop God's chosen one - sins of the people of Isreal - big sets and of course the perfect looking heroes. ..and it's only 90 minutes.

Overall though,despite it's weaker points (english dubbing is always unintentionally funny)it's a pretty good movie. I'd recommend it for younger viewers and maybe people who like biblical epics or Orson Welles devotees.

6 stars for convincing enough sets,a great battle sequence and the casting of Welles and whoever chose Goliath (where'd they find that guy?). Along with a well told story,then again the Bible has plenty of them to tell. (END)

David, Goliath and the dancing girls

[Chase_Witherspoon · 4/10 · 26 April 2011]

Spaghetti biblical study elevated somewhat in status by the appearance of Orson Welles playing King Saul. Ivo Payer is David, the man who would be king of the Israelites, but who must first defeat Asrod, King of the Philistines (Meniconi) who's managed to lure the hermit behemoth Goliath (Kronos) as his secret weapon. Beginning with David's journey to Jerusalem, where he quickly establishes himself as a shepherd (or radical, depending on your lean), freeing the slaves and showing compassion for the wicked, he is taken in by the Prophets and groomed as the next King. His inevitable battle to the death with Goliath is a disappointingly brief action sequence, with Goliath shown in the distance to distort the height difference which is obviously far less than desirable. The bloody battle that follows is everything a sword and sandal movie promises to be, again, albeit too brief.

Welles is essentially a peripheral character although unsurprisingly, his performance towers above those around him; Massimo Serato as ally turned conspirator Abner does a reasonable job and although not as buff as a Steve Reeves or Brad Harris, Ivo Payer isn't as wooden as one might expect of films of this ilk. Meniconi too isn't bad as the evil Asrod, although why he would bet the house on a 6 foot maybe 5 inch Neanderthal who can military press an ancient stone tablet beggars belief. But then it did happen according to the Old Testament. Goliath was probably much bigger than depicted here – cinematography tricks fail to enlarge Kronos to the necessary proportions.

Colourful sets, appropriate score and functional dialogue (dubbed) permits some standard of entertainment and unlike most biblical epics, "David & Goliath" is compact at about an hour and a half. If you're home alone over Easter or Christmas, don't have high expectations and could cop a low-key sermon (scantily clad dancing girls an unexpected bonus), "David & Goliath" might keep you mildly entertained.

Not Bad, for a Sunday Afternoon

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 5 June 2013]

In Jerusalem, the wicked King Saul (Orson Welles) is visited by the Prophet Samuel (Edward Hilton) after losing the Arch of the Alliance in a war against Asrod (Furio Meniconi), King of the Philistines. Samuel advises that God is not happy with him and the new king of Jerusalem would come from Bethlehem.

Meanwhile the shepherd David (Ivo Payer) loses his sweetheart and soon he is summoned by Samuel to go to Jerusalem as the chosen by God. He becomes King Saul's adviser, but the ambitious Captain Abner (Massimo Serato) plots a scheme to get rid of David, and convinces King Saul to send him as an emissary to meet King Asrod. David is challenged by Asrod to fight against the giant Goliath (Kronos) and the impossible happens: David wins Goliath.

"David e Golia" is a cheesy Italian epic based on a biblical story from the Old Testament and with the attraction of Orson Welles in the role of King Saul of Jerusalem. The sets are poor, most of the acting is only reasonable but this movie is not bad, for a Sunday afternoon. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "David e Golias" ("David and Goliath")

cheesy spectacle

[tsf-1962 · 4/10 · 24 December 2006]

This cheesy but entertaining sword-and-sandal movie has more in common with the muscleman spectacles being made in Italy at the time than it has with the superior Biblical epics made by Hollywood in the same era, such as "Ben Hur" and "The Ten Commandments." The dialogue is stilted, the acting stiff, and the departures from the Biblical narrative make it unsuitable as a Sunday school lesson (i.e., Jerusalem did not become part of Israel until David conquered it after Saul's death; in one scene the prophet Samuel quotes verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes, which hadn't been written yet). On the credit side, the movie has lots of pretty girls (what's a Biblical epic without scantily clad dancing girls?) and an exciting battle scene. Hilton Edwards (billed as Edward Hilton) hams it up amusingly as Samuel, and an alarmingly obese Orson Welles gives a commanding performance as Saul, showing that life can be tough for a working actor even if you're a genius. Aside from Welles, only the sexy Eleonora Rossi-Drago, as Saul's scheming daughter Merab, manages to create a three-dimensional character. Overall, the acting is so poor that circus strong man Kronos, as Goliath, actually gives one of the better performances even though all he does is grunt.

Decent Version Of The Tale

[Rainey-Dawn · 4/10 · 19 January 2017]

King Saul has lost favor with God, war is imminent. The only man Saul is afraid of is the prophet Samuel. Samuel arrives to prophesies about a man that God will anoint a man king out of the land of Benjamin to rule over Israel - that man is David. David must fulfill the prophesy but King Saul is willing put up a battle or die before he will bow down to David and give up his throne. Before David can take the throne, he must fight Goliath. In the end, King David restores Saul back to the throne.

This is a pretty decent version of the biblical story. It's not a big long Epic tale but of a good length to give us a movie version (around an hour and a half long).

I do not rate films of this nature by how much it matches the bible tale nor do I rate these types of films by how much I believe the story is true. I rate them by how well entertained I was by them, how well it was filmed and acted out. My rating is not for my personal beliefs, but for how well I enjoyed it.

4/10

Italian epic in which David of Bethlehem slays the giant and becomes a rival to King Saul.

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 28 May 2020]

Passable Italian Biblical movie about two great kings and shot in various locations as Yugoslavia , Amato Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy , Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, and Jerusalem, Israel . A biopic about two first Israel Kings : Saul (Orson Welles who gives overacting) and David (Ivo Payer) , including great battles , drama , love and hatred , being some moments carried out in slow moving . The picture focuses their epic lives retelling their complicated relationship , rebellion , battles and the intrincacies in taking over the kingdom of Israel . Saul and David are very human figures who are recorded in the Bible : Samuel , Books 1 ,2 . The continued threat and domination of invaders countries : Amalacitas , Amonitas , Moabitas and Philistines forced the Jewish tribes uniting under a strong king , Saul . Later on , the notorious prophet Samuel (Hilton Edwards) under divine inspiration appoints David as king . King Saul is jealous of the fame and adoration of David , who vanquished Goliath and defeated Philistines .

This Biblical story packs drama , familiar confrontations , court intrigues , impressive combats and a strong battle of wills between Saul/Orson Welles along with his underlings as Massimo Serato against David/Ivo Payer . Highlights of the movie are the breathtaking battles shot in Jerusalem and Italy , location by that time was filmed several Biblical spectacles. It contains nice set decoration , interior well filmed in De Paolis studios , and decent art direction but some scenes seem to be a little bit boring that it makes stately pace . Duo protagonist is acceptable and support cast is plenty of Italian actors as Eleonora Rossi Drago , Massimo Serato , Giulia Rubini , Pierre Cressoy , Gabriele Tinti , among others. The motion picture was professionally directed by Ferdinando Baldi and Richard Pottier but it has several flaws and gaps . Ferdinando Baldi has written/directed other epics and Peplum in similar style as In the Shadow of the Eagles , Battle of Germania , The Son of Cleopatra , Pedro il Cruel , Taras Bulba , and Orazi e Curiazi .

David is one of the most important Biblical figures , David is richly represented in post-biblical Jewish written and oral tradition, and is discussed in the New Testament. Early Christians interpreted the life of Jesus in light of the references to the Messiah and to David; Jesus is described as being descended from David. David is discussed in the Quran as a major prophet and figures in Islamic oral and written tradition as well. The biblical character of David has inspired many interpretations in art and literature over centuries.he is described in the Hebrew Bible as the third king of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah, becoming king after Ish-bosheth . In the Books of Samuel, David is a young shepherd who gains fame first as a musician and later by killing the enemy champion Goliath. He becomes a favorite of King Saul and a close friend of Saul's son Jonathan. Worried that David is trying to take his throne, Saul turns on David. Later on , David claimed his rights for his marriage to Saul's daughter , Michal . After Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David is appointed as King. David conquers Jerusalem, taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city, and establishing the kingdom founded by Saul. As king, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, leading him to arrange the death of her husband Uriah the Hittite. Because of this sin, David's son Absalom tries to overthrow him. David flees Jerusalem during Absalom's rebellion, but after Absalom's death he returns to the city to rule Israel. Because David shed much blood,God denies David the opportunity to build the temple. Before his peaceful death, he chooses his son Solomon as successor. He is honored in the prophetic literature as an ideal king and the forefather of a future Messiah, and many psalms are ascribed to him. Historians of the Ancient Near East agree that David probably existed around 1000 BCE, but that there is little that can be said about him as a historical figure. It was initially thought that there was no evidence outside of the Bible concerning David, but the Tel Dan Stele, an inscribed stone erected by a king of Damascus in the late 9th/early 8th centuries BCE to commemorate his victory over two enemy kings, contains the phrase in Hebrew: "House of David".

Other movies concerning these Biblic kings are the following ones : ¨David and Bathsheba¨(51) by Henry King with Susan Hayward , Gregory Peck , Kieron Moore . David and Goliath¨ by Ferdinando Baldi with Orson Welles , Ivo Garrani , Ivo Payer , ¨A story of David¨ (61) with Jeff Chandler , Basil Sidney , Donald Pleasance . ¨Saul and David¨ 1964 by Marcello Baldi with Norman Wooland , Gianni Garko , Luz Márquez , Virgilio Teixeira , Pilar Clemens , Elisa Cegani , Carlos Casaravilla , Antonio Mayans. ¨King David¨(1985) by Bruce Beresford with Richard Gere , Cherie Lunghi , Edward Woodward , Alice Krige and ¨David¨(1997) by Robert Markowitz with Nathaliel Parker , Jonathan Pryce , Sheryl Lee , Leonard Nimoy , Ben Daniels.

slice of a trend

[Kirpianuscus · 2 May 2020]

It is very bizarre to be too critic about this film. It is one of , maybe, too many films inspired by ancient history and mythology , cheesy in deep sense, using a simple and not bad recipe, responding to the taste of public of "50-"60 s. Orson Welles as a king Saul reduced at his presence, in fact. A seductive Ivo Payer, maybe too old to be a reasonable David and, obvious, not the most convincing but a acceptable for a love story. Edward Hilton in a role of Samuel reflecting the wisedome of the word of God . And, dance or Massio Srato as gardener of bad seeds of angry for Saul. Short, a film reflecting a trend, naive, no doubts but sweet.

Great biblical "epic".....for Sunday School Classes.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 30 November 2011]

Even the great biblical epics of Hollywood's golden age can't compare to the book they were based on. Most of them suffer from strange casting and overly campy dialogue. In the case of "David and Goliath", the issue is bad photography, obviously recycled sets and costumes, and horrendous dubbing. It's obvious that of the cast members, only Orson Welles (as King Saul) had English as his first language. Portly and imperious, Welles is the only actor to come out with his dignity intact. The actor playing Goliath simply laughs and sneers evilly in every scene he is in, and it is very uncomfortable to watch Philistene maidens dancing around him in an erotic way. The actor playing David seems about a decade too old for his role, and the other characters are simply too one dimensional to believe. The scene of David arriving in Jeruselem to find it overrun with corruption is interesting, although a bit far fetched with the encounters he makes, and the battle scenes are gratuitously bloody. It really looks like any other Italian sword-and-sandals trashy flick made throughout the 60's. The bible deserves better. For more interesting looks at the life of the future King David, check out "David and Bathsheba" (Gregory Peck, 1952) or even "King David" (Richard Gere, 1985). Leave this one for bible teachers to show pre-teenagers to learn the old testament.

With five minutes of a real story, this film is a dud from script to screen quality

[SimonJack · 2/10 · 7 October 2021]

"David and Goliath" is titled after two characters in the Bible, but can hardly be considered a biblical movie or theme. This is mostly a highly fictionalized, sensationalized, sexualized, and oversized film that takes its plot from some characters of the Bible. The movie widely interpolates the brief story that is in two small chapters of the book, 1 Samuel. Most other films about biblical characters exaggerate or fictionalize much of the stories. The best of them stick to the main story and theme of their source, and fill in much of the unwritten and unknown story with varying degrees of Hollywood hype. Thus, much more glamor, seduction, action, intrigue and romance fill out these stories than probably ever occurred.

This picture was done by Italian filmmakers, and was filmed in Yugoslavia, Jerusalem and Italy. Some of the Italian-made biblical stories are very good. Some have drawn top actors over the years for one or more of the roles. Some have had very good writers and screenplays, and some have had great directors and technical productions. But there also have been some turkeys that have none of the above, or if they have one or another of these qualities, they otherwise stink.

Well, this is a real stinker. Whatever induced Orson Wells to play King Saul in this film is beyond me. He was just 45 years old when he made this film and a highly regarded actor. His role here isn't that much or that good. His presence is about all there is to it. The rest of the cast are so-so. But the screenplay, the story, the direction, filming and all production qualities are terrible. This film was shot in color, but the colors are horrible and bleed on the screen. The musical score is bad. And, for any who are looking for a semblance of a Bible story, what little accuracy there is here is sandwiched between fictional gibberish and almost laughable nonsense. About the only things the producers got right were the biblical names, and David playing the lyre for King Saul and then slaying Goliath. The last two don't even take up five minutes of the entire film.

All of the background and recruiting of Goliath is myth and silliness. That he is a recluse in a cave is quite odd to start with. Then, that he is finally enticed to serve the Philistines by a bunch of seductive dancing women is further Hollywood hype. The plotting within Saul's family and household, and romances, are supposed to attract audiences, but they aren't true to the story and are mostly dull or boring. This film was apparently shown around Europe after its opening in Italy on Jan. 22, 1960. It eventually opened in the U. S. five months later - on May 28. But it probably wasn't on many screens, and then not for long. The IMDb, ultimate ratings, and other Web sites have nothing I could find on the budget or box office of this film - or any reviews by critics. My guess is that it was a bomb.

Here's one example of the gross interpolation of the Bible in this film. The Israelites demand to have the Ark of the Covenant returned by the Philistines. But the real account of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines occurred well before Israel had a king. Chapters four through seven of 1 Samuel tell the story. When the Ark was captured much earlier, it was taken to the Philistine city of Ashdod and put in the temple of the god Dagon. The next day, Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark. The people set it back up and the next day it was again toppled with the head and arms severed. They moved the Ark from city to city and wherever it was kept, disasters occurred to the town. After seven months, the Philistines sent the Ark back to the Israelites and it was kept in the house of Aminadab, under the care of Eleazar. So, when Saul was king of Israel the Ark of the Covenant was in Israel - not still in the hands of the Philistines.

The best was to describe this film is that it's a waste of time. Or, something to watch only if one wants to see Orson Wells look ridiculous in a ridiculous role.

A Mighty Man With a Sling

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 February 2007]

This Italian made sand and sandal epic would probably be long forgotten were it not for the presence of Orson Welles as King Saul. Certainly the man who played David in David and Goliath, Ivo Payer, certainly did not enter the ranks of screen immortals.

David and Goliath took as many liberties with scripture as any good Cecil B. DeMille film, but without DeMille's sense of grandeur and spectacle. For instance in this film as a result of the battle where David defeats Goliath and the Philistines are routed, the Ark of the Covenant which the Philistines had captured is returned. Actually those are separate incidents that are not connected at all.

Another thing is that at least I've always interpreted David to be a rather callow youth when he was doing his shepherd thing before God sent Samuel looking for him. And he's still a callow youth when he's in battle with Goliath. The old Negro spiritual is called Little David Play On Your Harp, not without reason.

Ivo Payer is a rather muscular young man looking like he stepped from of those Italian muscle man epics so popular at the time. Of course the sight of all that bare chested beefcake sent many hearts fluttering in the audience. In that sense David and Goliath is right in the DeMille tradition.

The only reason this film is remembered if at all today is because of Orson Welles. Welles at the time was picking up work here and there to finance his own projects. Sometimes it would be something as good as Compulsion the year before, more often it was something like David and Goliath.

Still Welles is a consummate professional and he invests Saul with an air of tragedy about him. At the point we meet Saul, God has already decided he's not the man for the job as King of Israel. But Saul is not about to accept that verdict. If he can't beat David head on, he'll try and co-op David by bringing him into his household and matching him up with his daughter.

And of course there's Saul's son Jonathan. He's there, but none of the business about a gay relationship between David and Jonathan is in this film. Jonathan knows full well that his father has lost favor with the Lord and he's aware of his father's character weaknesses. He too, befriends David more out of a sense of survival than anything else.

English actor Hilton Edwards plays Samuel the Prophet and he comes across as a poor man's version of Finlay Currie. He's the only other English speaking player in the cast besides Orson Welles.

David and Goliath will not pass muster with either biblical scholars or with lovers of big screen spectacle. Still fans of Orson Welles will want to see this film to see how much a great talent can lift even a piece of mediocrity to a level of some respectability.

The plot is far off from the actual bible narratives

[braddc-591-469585 · 3/10 · 9 January 2021]

I was hoping this would not be so disjointed and out of wack from the actual biblical narrative, which is far superior. The best parts of the actual story are missing entirely.

" Am I a Dog, that you would send a boy unto me? "

[thinker1691 · 8/10 · 15 May 2014]

From a free adoptions of several biblical sources, Umberto Scarpelli, gives forms to this biblical story, which is then directed by Ferdinando Baldi. Among all the several versions this is my favorite. It relates a time in ancient times when the first king of the Isreal, Saul ( Orson Welles) having been anointed by the prophet Samuel (Hilton Edwards) is seen now in the last stage of his rule and once again Summuel has advised Saul that a new king has been chosen. The choice is a son of Jesse called David (Ivo Payer). Saul's army has been challenged by the Phillistines and their new champion called Goliath. played by Kronos. The story of David and Saul is easily told, but in this movie version the writers have added, love, inner family conflict, ambition, and royal jealousy. As such the film begins to drag towards it's finally. Despite the dueling arms, little is seen which can add to the over-all movie. Still it's color is great, so too the panorama, all in all it's a great film for the 60's. Recommended to those who have time to watch a long drawn out biblical story. ****

David and Goliath, Orson Wells as Saul.

[Jacknife-4 · 6/10 · 29 June 1999]

Released as David And Goliath, this is a very enjoyable classic Bible story. On the cover it is billed as an Orson Wells picture, however, Wells does not take the prominent focus. This movie explores the opposite side of the Philistenes gearing up for war against Israel, an aspect not usually covered in Bible stories. If you like classic film, this is definitely one that should be seen.

Forgettable Italian bible story

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 30 September 2017]

David and Goliath is the Italian peplum version of the Biblical story, best known for featuring an aged Orson Welles as the villain of the piece, a ruthless King Saul who rants and raves in his various guest appearances. As a film, it's surprisingly low budget, a set-bound political piece that lacks the kind of basic spectacle that this genre is known for. It's no comparison to the Hollywood blockbuster version of the story, featuring Gregory Peck, and by comparison it just features minor actors spouting badly-dubbed dialogue with the occasional war sequence thrown in to try to keep viewers awake. It doesn't really work.

Lifeless adaptation

[Wizard-8 · 8 December 2014]

At first glance, the story of David and Goliath may seem to be a good pick for a filmed adaptation of a Bible story - most people know of the story even if they are not religious, and it's a classic underdog making good theme. But thinking about it a little, an obvious problem rears its head - it's a SHORT story. The screenwriters of this movie had the problem of stretching things out to feature film length, and in the process made the story a pretty long and boring one. It's made worse by the fact that there's hardly any action. Also, some gentle humor here and there would have helped as well. Another script problem is that it doesn't get into the heads of the main players very well. David seems to blindly follow God's commands, Goliath is more or less a growling thug, and King Saul (played by a clearly embarrassed Orson Welles) only has a few brief scenes. The look of the movie is okay, but it's not enough to stop you from drifting off to sleep as you watch.

Only the names are the same

[Bernie4444 · 2/10 · 31 October 2023]

A bible story like it was never told. All of Israel looks like the 1960s Italians. And when Goliath (Kronos) first appears they use 60's sci-fi music. I am not sure, but I think King Saul (Orson Welles) mumbles in Italian. The story has slightly changed, and So David (Ivica Pajer) gets the girl and congratulations from Old King Saul. His rival (no not Goliath) and Abner (Massimo Serato) get the shaft.

The only real sad part was the scene where the poor innocent cutie shepherd girl gets electrocuted.

The filming locations may surprise you or not: Yugoslavia Amato Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy Jerusalem, Israel

I can not avoid saying "Read the Book"

They Made the Wrong Movie

[Steve_Nyland · 4/10 · 19 October 2017]

Serviceable enough Italian produced historical Peplum drawing upon biblical scenario, directed by Spaghetti Western master Ferdinando Baldi at the beginning of his career. Orson Welles glowers and half-whispers his way through a marvelously pointless performance done in only by Goliath himself, who standing about twelve feet tall at 450 pounds is the focus of my thesis on the film.

Which is specifically that the Italians -- no doubt limited by 1960 era morality -- made the wrong movie. The scenes with Goliath are its best, and the most enjoyable the one where he is promised command of an army (doesn't care) a roomful of gold (been there/done that) and the prettiest most wholesome women in the kingdom attending to his every bidding. SCORE!

The hilarious scene where Goliath sits on a giant throne quaffing a barrel of wine while scantily clad damsels perform a Veil Dance for him should have been the departure point for a much more interesting story exploring just what went down. Though sadly Goliath returns on screen only to slaughter a few guards prior to his disappointingly brief showdown with David. After which the film persists in continuing for a while, missing the point that we weren't dialing in to watch Orson Welles palpitate. We were there for Goliath, and he ruled.

At least a C series

[Dr_Coulardeau · 7/10 · 19 March 2008]

When Orson Welles did not have anything to eat he had to become an actor in films that are hardly worth, at times, mentioning, and yet he tries to do what he can as an actor to save the film. That's typical in this one. The Bible is badly revisited in an episode that is not that particularly thrilling because too much known. The film more or less understands some political questions and sees in the attack of the Philistines against Israel an allusion to the menace against Israel from its Arab neighbors. But all that is naive. The stone civilization against the metal civilization from the north as Solomon will put it later is hardly seen. A sling and a stone against spears and a sword. This symbolism is present but unexploited. That also means The Semites (and that is a lot more than just the Jews) against those from the North, those who speak the Indo-Iranian languages of Mesopotamia, of Babylon, of Persia. All that is missed, and a lot more. The harp is also present but not used to its tremendous meaning. The oldest harp we know in this region is Sumerian and not Israeli or whatever. Israeli music is derived from that Sumerian music of some fifteen centuries before, and it is David who is going to establish the music school of the Temple, of the Levites, and also ,the singing school that will produce the prosody and the psalmody of the Ancient Testament, two musical forms that are both the results of older traditions and the root of twenty centuries to come. Apart from that the film is naive and primitive. I prefer the version given by Handel in his Saul.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Such a Good Throwback

[mandyvs-87214 · 9/10 · 6 July 2021]

I'm a sucker for old films and this one was good for the soul. A good re-telling of a Bible classic!

Shallow treatment of the great theatrical drama of the rise of King David.

[clanciai · 8/10 · 29 April 2019]

The best thing about this film is the music by Carlo Innocenzi, which is the one thing that is good enough to keep up any interest in this soap opera, loosely based on the Bible and making a mess of it, whisking away some of the most interesting psychological dramatic material ever written, which is a shame, because the text describing these events is actually quite comprehensive. The second best thing is the acting by Orson Welles as the godforsaken King Saul but even more Hilton Edwards as the prophet Samuel, making a grand entrance on his crutches and dominating every scene he appears in, a grand old actor actually making this film worth seeing in spite of its shallow use of a great material. Abner, another good actor (Massimo Serato) is made a villain here, while he actually later became King David's chief general. Even Orson Welles could have made more of such a fantastically fascinating case as the tragedy of King Saul. Poor show of a great story.