I have to admit that I greatly enjoy the swords-and-sandals genre, whether of Christianity or of other types. This was solidly directed by King and had strong performances by Peck, Hayward and Massey, and was greatly touching at the end when David discovers the overwhelming and incredible power of forgiveness, particularly he of himself....

Right from the opening bars of Alfred Newman's (overpowering) score, this has Darryl F. Zanuck all over it. Rousing music, grand structures, glittering costumes and a cast that, well, must have had spare capacity on their contracts. Taken - at times verbatim - from the biblical books of Samuel, this installs Gregory Peck as the famed King David...