By BRUCE DENNILL
David / Directed by Phil Cunningham / PG
South African animation for the big screen has a mixed history at the box office and, given that the competition for tickets includes behemoths like Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and others, it’s fair to feel that however good a local piece is, it may get lost in the noise.
David, from Cape Town’s Sunrise Animation Studios, may buck that trend, however.
The animation is sharp and detailed – when a spear pierces some fabric, for instance, the way the material separates looks incredibly real – adding visual layers to the characters while also giving the film a look and feel that positions it in that space that overlaps both child and adult audiences.
It’s a musical, too, following in the footsteps of the excellent Prince Of Egypt – arguably the last animated biblical epic of note, released 27 years ago – with the songs treading a happy middle ground between hook-laden soundtrack design and thoughtful melody-driven storytelling – the latter especially fitting and useful when trying to bring in both the mood and scope of the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible, which chronicles the rise of King David of Israel until the stage of his life where he is just about to take over from King Saul.
The writing is another strong pillar in excellent overall structure, giving plenty of space to – and having a great deal of fun with – the highlights of the narrative, including David’s anointing by the prophet Samuel, his meeting with the Philistine hero Goliath and his conflict with Saul, Israel’s first monarch, whose pride is crowding out his faith, resulting in a slide into depression and paranoia. The script also, notably, comes up with ways to fill in all of the narrative between those tentpole moments in a way that at once honours the original text and presents something that contemporary audiences can follow easily, regardless of their prior knowledge of the source material or their faith.
As a vehicle for proclaiming faith, David also does well, not needing to get preachy while the simple revisiting of the story one of history’s great heroes and characters remains as powerful now as it was centuries ago. Popular Christian singer-songwriter Phil Wickham’s performance as the older version of David adds further texture (a believer playing a believer), as well as being top-notch voice acting.
The film is as bright and cheerful as it is thoughtful and meaningful. On that basis, David merits rewatching soon as it begins its theatrical life, but it will also have longevity, having been carefully built to amuse, inform, entertain – and last.