King David on AllMovie

Richard Gere stars as King David in this film of the life of the warrior king, interpreted by director Bruce Beresford as a man convinced of his divine mission but unsure of how to carry it out. The Old Testament story of David is replete with pagan bloodletting and violence, reminiscent of Malcolm MacDowell's visions of Old Testament slaughter in A Clockwork Orange. David lives through fifty years of romance, brutal fights, and insidious betrayals, including his many wives, his traitorous son Absalom (Jean-Marc Barr), the weak-willed King Saul (Edward Woodward), and his childhood friend Jonathan (Jack Klaff).