David and Bathsheba (1951)

King David (Gregory Peck) rules Israel with a wise and just hand, but when he spies Bathsheba (Susan Hayward), who at the time is another man's wife, the monarch falls foul of his earthly desires, distancing him from God's graces.
The Old Testament judgements, the kind that shine a murky light on the religion's tenets, mean the message is open to one-sided interpretations, which may be a good and/or bad thing, and I feel that a story of adultery loses some of its power when one of the participants has multiple wives, but the dialogue is of a sort that made Hollywood great, once upon a time. The two leads enjoy some of the best examples, but David's first wife, Michal (Jayne Meadows) steals a few impassioned scenes with what she's given.

4 draconian stones cast out of 5

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

While still in use as a training film for the United States Air Force Academy on the issues and perils of command, Twelve O’Clock High works equally well on examining the issues and perils of Dominance and submission. Set early in the air war over Europe, Gregory Peck is appointed commander of a flagging bomber squadron, whom he proceeds to make his bitch until they beg for more.
As a bonus, there is Millard Mitchell as General Pritchard and his unintentionally creepy fetish for destruction.
Starts a little slow, but once Peck gets his head into Dom Space, sit back and enjoy the delicious battle of wills.

4 drinks at the Officers Club out of 5.