Cast a Giant Shadow wants to be another Exodus, but it falls far short. Shadow seems to be one of those projects that everyone joined onto because they felt the subject matter itself was worthy; they seemed to forget that the way in which a story is told is every bit as important (if not more so) than the story itself. And Shadow is told in the most formulaic manner possible. Taking the real life exploits of an important military leader, Shadow either runs the story through the Hollywood grinder or reduces it to such bare essentials that it comes across as hackneyed and unbelievable. Certainly, the romantic subplot that is introduced (and which comes to be far too dominant) adds nothing to the dramatic interest of the film, being told in a way that smacks of the cinema rather than true life. And the characters, especially the lead, have been drained of depth so that they too often come across as cardboard rather than flesh and blood. (The seltzer-bombing scene with Frank Sinatra, whatever its roots in reality may or may not be, is an unforgivable low point.) The cast certainly tries hard, especially Kirk Douglas as Marcus. Douglas knows that he is the glue that has to hold the picture together, and he fulfills that purpose admirably, but he can't breathe life into the shell that he has been given. John Wayne is John Wayne, Yul Brynner is fine, and Topol, if over the top, at least adds some zest. Melville Shavelson's direction is better than his screenplay, but the only truly good thing about Shadow is Aldo Tonti's gorgeous cinematography.