Walk on Water (2004)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Eytan Fox

Writer:

Gal Uchovsky (writer)

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He was trained to hate until he met the enemy

Plot:

Following the suicide of his wife, an Israeli intelligence agent is assigned to befriend the grandchildren of a Nazi war criminal.

Plot Keywords:

Tourist | Mossad | Suicide | Nazi | Israel

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Lior Ashkenazi	...	Eyal
Knut Berger	...	Axel Himmelman
Caroline Peters	...	Pia Himmelman
Gideon Shemer	...	Menachem
Carola Regnier	...	Axel's Mother
Hanns Zischler	...	Axel's Father
Ernest Lenart	...	Alfred Himmelman
Eyal Rozales	...	Jello
Yousef 'Joe' Sweid	...	Rafik
Imad Jabarin	...	Rafik's uncle
Sivan Sasson	...	Weapons Instructor
Natali Shilman	...	Iris (as Nataly Szylman)
Hugo Yarden	...	Kibbuz Director
Joshua Simon	...	Kibbuz Singer
Tom Rahav	...	Kibbuz Singer

Also Known As:

LaLehet Al HaMayim (Israel: Hebrew title) (working title)
To Walk on Water (Israel: English title) (working title)
Walking on Water (Israel: English title) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language including sexual references, and for brief nudity.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Israel | Sweden

Language:

English | German | Hebrew | Italian | Turkish | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated | USA:R | UK:15 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Fond Européen Média

Trivia:

Caroline Peters, who plays Pia, revealed in an interview on Israeli television that her actual grandfather was a Nazi, just like her character's grandfather in the film

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Eyal visits Menachem's Berlin hotel, a shot down its hall reveals that all the rooms have Mezuzot on the doorframes. At the door to Menachem's room, the only room without a Mezuzah, there is a clearly visible unpainted patch from which the Mezuzah had been removed just for that shot. A Mezuzah is a small box filled with bible passages (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21). Jews put them on the doorframes of houses and other buildings. Their presence reveals that the filmmakers used an Israeli location for that hotel instead of a German one.

Quotes:

Axel Himmelman: [tries to walk on the sea and falls in]
Eyal: [sarcastically] Bravo. You did it.
Axel Himmelman: You don't understand. You can't just come to the Sea of Galilee and start walking on water. If you could, everybody would be doing it. You need to prepare yourself.
Eyal: And how would you do that? Please enlighten me.
Axel Himmelman: Well, you need to completely purify yourself. Your heart needs to be like it's clean from the inside: no negativity, no bad thoughts.
Eyal: And then?
Axel Himmelman: And then you can walk on water. I'm sure of it.

Movie Connections:

References The Eurovision Song Contest (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Merry for ever

Tough men also cry

Israel cinema is to be commended for excellent film making, done with conviction and courage. In the last few years we have been blessed with movies that are tremendously appealing. Such is the case with "Walk on Water". Under the sure direction of Eytan Fox, and based on a screen play by Gal Ushavsky, we embark in a trip of revenge and understanding between two men on opposite sides.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps stop reading here.

When the film opens, we see an idyllic boat trip along the Bosphorus in Istambul. The serene scene of the sightseeing trip suddenly turns sinister as we watch Eyal approach the couple and child seating in front of him during the trip and kills the man with a lethal injection.

The action then changes to Israel. We get to know Eyal is a member of Israel's secret service organization. Eyal has had it and wants to break away, but his superior, Menachem gives him a new order to track down an old Nazi war criminal. His grandchildren happen to be in the country, Pia, as a volunteer in a kibbutz and Axel who is on vacation.

Eyal is of two minds. Why kill an old man? Why now? Menachem's idea is that getting rid of that beast is an act of avenging Eyal's parents and other victims. When Eyal gets home he finds his wife has committed suicide. As a way to get away from his problems, Eyal agrees to go on a last mission.

In the process, Eyal discovers that the gentle Axel and Pia, repudiate the idea of the German past. Eyal, who has been cool toward Axel because of the latter's homosexuality, is sent to Berlin to infiltrate the family during an upcoming birthday party where he discovers Axel's grandfather as an added surprise. Pushed by Menachem to kill the old man, Eyal, discovers that he can't do the killing.

The movie presents a lot of ideas for which there are no easy answers. Eyal recognizes the innocence of both Axel and Pia, to whom the mere idea of such a past is repugnant, at best. Eyal is torn between duty and what he feels is the right thing to do. Eyal's wife suicide is never completely justified, or explained.

The problems between Palestinians and Israelis play also a part in the story. We hear about different suicide bombings happening in parts of the country. Also, when Eyal confronts a Palestinian gay man that has taken Axel shopping in a relative's store, puts in motion the hatred he feels for the group that are terrorizing his country.

In Lior Ashkenazi, the director has found a charismatic Eyal. This actor exudes virility, honesty and integrity. Eyal is torn between the men who committed the atrocities during WWII, and the present. In his mind, there are fewer of them now, let them die, as they're not in any position to harm anyone, any more.

Knut Berger plays Axel Himmelman with an ease that is disarming. Mr. Berger makes this man appealing. The actor makes an extraordinary contribution to the film. Caroline Peters is also good as Pia, the kind soul that doesn't want anything to do with her German past. In Israel she has found her happiness. Gideon Senner, is Menachem, the old man in charge of the secret service agency whose mission is never let the world forget about the suffering the Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

"Walk on Water", thanks to Mr. Fox's direction captures our attention from the beginning. We look forward anxiously to his next efforts.