Academy Award Nominations:
DAVID AND BATHSHEBA
The Biblical story runs a very short span basically in 2 Samuel 11, 12.
The Old Testment is a kind of history book with stories of people (legends) and their interaction with God (myths)
The Bible starts with the creation of the world and continues through the creation of people and what happens to a specific group, the Jews.
The narative goes on to a period of captivity in Egypt to their release into a "promised land" called Canaan under the leadership of Moses (Ten Commandments).
After entering Canaan Joshua destroys the Canaanite city Jericho. Slowly the group leaves its nomadic lifestyle and begins to become more citified and its political structure starts to alter.
At first there are "judges" who act as leaders. Samson (Samson and Deliliah)is one of these.
By the book of Samuel, there is a clamor on the part of the people to have a king. Samuel feels this is against God's will, but yields after pointing out the dangers of a monarchy and annoints Saul, first King of Israel. He late annoints David (David and Bathsheba).
Saul's court is joined by a young shepherd named David, who in many ways prefigures the Messiah. He is born in Bethlehem and is presented as holy, artistic and a warrior combining all the crucial elements.
Saul develops a growing insanity and hostility toward David as his popularity grows (especially after killing the Philistine giant Goliath).
Ultimately after several attempts to kill David, Saul commits suicide and his sons are killed in a battle and David becomes the second king - initially of Judah. For a short while one of Saul's sons rules in the north but he is killed and David unifies the country.
David has several wives including Michal, the daughter of Saul (see below).He has numerous children by them, but none by Michal. David has the ark brought to Jerusalem. While it is traveling, it nearly falls and one of the soldiers, Uzzah, attempts to keep it from falling and is killed from its power when he touches it (2 Samuel 6:6-8). David dances happily before the ark. Michal sees this and despises David because of it. As a result Michal was punished by being childless.
David becomes involved with a sordid affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his officers, Uriah. When she becomes pregnant and David can not find a way to make it seem that Uriah is the father, he has Uriah killed by sending him into a dangerous battle. (see parallel with Ahab)
. Nathan, the prophet objects to the marriage (compare John the Baptist and his attacks on Herod and Herodias). The prophet attacks David with a parable and gets him to admit guilt. God punishes David by having his firstborn som by Bathsheba die, and his family commit acts of incest and murder against one another.
David plans to build temple, but that job will fall to Solomon.(Solomon and Sheba)
Following the David story, the history proceeds as follows:
There are the Kings of Israel
Solomon builds the temple that David had hoped to build.
Israel splts into two parts: Judah (the Romanized form is Judea) and Israel
Eventually the Babylonians and Assyrians attack Judah and Israel and the Jews begin another period of collapse.
The temple is destroyed.
The Israelites are moved to Babylon where they remain together, whereas those in Assria are scatterd and become the "lost tribes of Israel". After tis the Israelites are often known as Jews.
Some of the Israelites flee to Egypt.
With the exile, the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament basically comes to an end.
Some of David's Wives and their children
| David | = | Michal |
| | ||
| David | = | Bathsheba |
| | ||
| unnamed child | Solomon |
David=Abigail
| David | = |
Ahinoam |
| |
||
Amnon (first son) |
| David | = |
Maacah |
| | | ||
| Absalom (third son) | Tamar (daughter) |
| David | = |
Haggith |
| |
||
Adonijah |
Costumes
References in text to earlier parts of David's life.
What other genres does this relate to?
(noir, melodrama western - how?)
AFTER THE FILM
Costumes and symbols: Star of David on clothing (not symbol of Israel at that time. Became one much later. Important as symbol from holocaust.
Old soldier - talk of Jonathan, Saul's son and friend of David.
Slingshot with shepherd boy refers to Goliath
Links to New Testament
Let him...cast the first stone
john8:7
David as a boy fighting Goliath is wounded by a spear which strikes him in the side which is remeniscent of Jesus, on the cross, being stapped by a spear.
One man provokes wrath of God against all in nation.
To what other genres does this relate?
(noir, melodrama western - how?)
Noir = fatal sexual attraction - David attracted to Bathsheba, kills husband Uriah, then they need to avoid each other. Postman Always Rings Twice; Double Indemenity
Melodrama (Women's film) Lack of any real appearance of other wives turns Michal into scorned wife, powerful sons; women marrying for power. Men are "sensitive" that they attach to. David is a musician and poet. (His warrior aspect is slipping away, hasn't bled in a while, can't hit tree with slingshot). He has emotional vision of his friends on the battlefield. His dual nature is shown with Saul's spear on one wall and David's lyre (harp) on the other
Western: Open spaces. sites for rejuvenation. David goes to Gilboah with Bathsheba and reattaches to his warrior past, but a rather sad one since Saul died without David being there to help. Saul, hostile to David was pursuing him and David was with the Philistines when Saul and sons are killed.
Second major scene in dessert occurs when David confronts Goliath. Again a harkening back to his warrrior youth and his attachment to God which he has lost.
God's forgiveness occurs with David laying hands on Ark and not dying as did the soldier trying to save it.(God's plan is beyond understanding)
Film ends with chorus singing the 23rd Psalm.