on their behalf, against the King. David’s advisors warn that Absalom is a traitor, planning an insurrection against him, but David defends his son. Elsewhere, Absalom is led to believe that his father has forsaken him, and will declare Solomon as his heir. Absalom is advised to attack the kingdom, and organize an army. Against David’s wishes, his army rides to fight Absalom’s men and is ambushed. While trying to escape, Absalom is killed. David laments the death of his son, and Nathan chastises him for following his own emotions and disobeying God’s law. David is apathetic, but eventually follows the commands delivered by the prophets, and successfully drives the Philistines from Israel. He destroys the model of his Ark temple, the final symbol of his vanity, and goes on to rule his kingdom justly. After forty years, David anoints Solomon to be the next king. On his deathbed, David instructs his son to rule with his heart, before remembering Jonathan. Cast Production Development In July 1978 Michael Eisner of Paramount said he wanted the studio to make a Biblical film for release in 1981. This was a King David script. According to Andrew Birkin, who was one of the later writers, the studio were attracted to the story because of its parallels to Star Wars with David as Luke Skywalker and Samuel as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jeffrey Katzenberg of Paramount met Bruce Beresford at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival when the director was there with Breaker Morant. He gave Beresford the script. Beresford "liked the story, didn't like the script" so bought in Andrew Birkin "who's come up with an outstanding screenplay." Birkin felt David's story was more ideal for a ten-hour mini series and struggled to include key elements like Samuel. "I found the brutality of the Old Testament hard to take" said Birkin. "I hadn't realized that God's commandments were set out so clearly -there's no pink pages. It was hard to make God a hero. It was also hard in 1984 to write a film about our late lamented Imperialists. This is not a Ten Commandments story of beleaguered people in exile. David was the Cecil Rhodes of Ancient Israel. It was hard to make a case for him, the kind who carved an empire according to the map devised by Abraham." Beresford said, "The forces that impinged on David, the decisions he had to make, the