Movie Review: David and Goliath

David and Goliath (David e Golia) 

Starring: Orson Welles, Ivica Pajer, Hilton Edwards, Massimo Serato, Eleonora Rossi Drago, Giulia Rubini, Pierre Cressoy, Furio Meniconi, Aldo "Kronos" Pedinotti, Dante Maggio, Luigi Tosi, Umberto Fiz, Ugo Sasso 

Director:  Ferdinando Baldi, Richard Pottier, Orson Welles 

Beaver-Champion Attractions Inc., Ansa, Dubrava Film, Italy, Yugoslavia, Israel, 1960. 

This movie is published as a part of Warriors 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Prophet Samuel (Hilton Edwards) has anointed Saul (Orson Welles) as the King of Israelites. However Saul is not a man of God. The Philistines beat Israelites again in the battle and take the Ark of the Covenant.

Prophet Samuel

King Saul

Samuel arrives to Saul's palace after long absence. He finds out that Saul has sons Jonathan (Pierre Cressoy), Ishvi and Ish-bosheth and daughters Merab (Eleonora Rossi Drago) and Michal (Giulia Rubini). Saul's counsellor is Abner (Massimo Serato) is the lover of Merab. Abner is ambitious and scheming person. Saul had to gave Ark of Covenant to Philistines to secure peace. The Lord has said to Samuel that Saul has broken His commandments and strayed from the path. Lord has departed Saul and a new king will soon reign Israel. (As a side note: I'm not expert in ancient Israel art, but the winged lion statues with bearded man's head in Saul's palace look oddly Babylonian).

Saul's palace is decorated Babylonian style

Merab

Young shepherd David (Ivica Pajer) is practising with sling. He is has a girl friend Eglah (Simonetta Simeoni). Eglah gives him a as a gift new sling. Eglah fears that he and David will be separated. Lightning strikes Eglah dead and David questions the God's will. David's father Jesse explains that David's mortal love is now transformed to spiritual love. 

David practising with sling

David and Eglah

Jesse consoles David

King Asrod (Furio Meniconi) is planning to conquer Israel. He wants to kill King Saul. Asrod's captain introduces new weapons to Asrod. Human weapon Goliath (Aldo Pedinotti) is introduced to Asrod by a cut-purse Cret (Dante Maggio). Goliath is indeed an imposing giant. Asrod tests him by asking him to lift Sampson's stone.

King Asrod

Goliath

Goliath's sneaky friend Cret

Samuel goes to find a new king. He anoints David as the prince. David leaves in secrecy but says farewell to his little sister Sarah (Ileana Danelli). He travels to Jerusalem, which is revealed to be a nest of sin. There he buys and sets free two slaves. He also gives water to two men who are condemned to death for opposing Abner. For some reason he does not help a woman being abused by a man. David preaches to the people to change their evil ways and accuses Saul for corruption.

David and little sister Sarah

Goliath lifting Sampson's stone

David goes to Saul's palace

Saul wishes to speak with David. Merab does not accept that an shepherd goes around judging the rulers. Michal suggests that counsellor Benjamin di Gaba (Luigi Tosi) asks questions from David to see if he is a wise man. Philistines have banned Israelites from bearing arms, so Benjamin asks David how to solve the limitations. David has a way around the limitation: only palace guards and officer may bear arms, but there is no limit to how many guards there is allowed to be. David may stay in the palace if he sings and plays harp for Saul. He shows a doubtful Jonathan how powerful weapon a sling can be. Abner and Benjamin try to buy the Ark back from the Philistines. Scheming Abner wants to get rid of Benjamin. He sends Lazar (Umberto Fiz) to to make a deal with Asrod. Goliath is sent to assassinate Benjamin.

David and Jonathan

Benjamin di Gaba and Abner

Lazar

David and Michal fall in love. The war begins and Saul and Abner send David as an emissary. David says that it is God's law that the Philistines must stay away from Israel. Asrod responses that his god is gold and law is Goliath. Asrod demands that David must fight and defeat Goliath, so he will not destroy Israel. Goliath throws some spears at David. The David shows the advantages of projectile weapons. David then kills the giant with his own sword. After a battle the Philistine army is destroyed. Jonathan kills King Asrod.

Michal

David returns as a celebrated hero. Abner plans to kill David, Saul approves the plan. However Saul changes his mind (very abruptly!) and shoots Abner with an arrow. He then declares the David the new king and gives Michal as David's wife. 

Michal becomes David's wife

This is a very free adaptation of the biblical story, the story goes on very slowly. Samuel's preaching is heavy, even Saul hides behind pillars. Seriously, when Samuel speaks he steals the scene even from Orson. Goliath manages to be a menaging guy just by standing there. The end battle is okay. At times there is some hammy scriptwriting with abrupt twists. The sets seem to be recycled from some film set in Babylon.

Goliath in his cave

Rating: Average