With the Oscars coming up on March 10, Treasure Trove dipped into its Jewish-themed cinema archive to present the promotional material from the Austrian premiere of David and Batsheba.
Seeking forgiveness and relief from the drought, David enters the Holy of Holies and asks that Israel not be punished for his sins. Gregory Peck’s depiction of King David shows a leader of Israel assuming responsibility for his actions. “Let thy punishment fall on thy servant who has earned it” he pleads.
The movie is not great (it scored 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and its dialogue is archaic, but the lesson of responsibility is a good one.