Walk on Water

Walk on Water has it all, action, emotion, drama. It's a movie that spans two continents and three languages. The first half is a little slow (introducing characters and dilemnas). The second half is the better half. A good movie about humans and how they act and change.

An excellent film from Israel, but could have been any country that feels on the brink of "near-extinction". The story is told by using flashbacks and it takes awhile to come to grips with the protagonist and what he is trying to do. You see him change before your eyes and the actors all work so well to make this happen.

WALK ON WATER, directed by Eytan Fox, is as good a movie as you're likely to see. It is well directed, acted and photographed and has a great soundtrack including music by Bruce Springsteen, Buffalo Springfield and Gigliola Cinquetti. The linear plot is straight-forward and powerful. Eyal (Lior Ashkenzai), in the Israeli Secret Service, is in the business of killing terrorists. After the death of his wife, however, he gets a new assignment: to track down and take out an aging Nazi war criminal "before God does." The Nazi's gay grandson Axel (Knut Berger) will soon be visiting his sister Pia (Caroline Peters) who has left Berlin to live in a kibbutz in Israel. Eyal poses as an employee of "Horizon Tours Israel" in order to get close to the German brother and sister in an effort to find their grandfather.

Although all the actors give fine performances, the movie ultimately belongs to Ashkenzai with his swarthy good looks and moody blue eyes. It is fascinating to watch him grow from a methodical killer to someone else entirely. (I won't give away the plot here.) The director does not shy away from difficult questions: Why are Palestinians desperate enough to become suicide bombers? Is it always necessary to take vengence in your own hands? Are there circumstances when you should leave an old, sick criminal to heaven? Can you love the children (or grandchildren) of an enemy? Does killing breed more killing? Can straight men and gay men be friends?

The movie is ultimately about hope and forgiveness. The ending that takes place at the Sea of Galilee, which is all about the title of the movie, will take your breath away.

I enjoyed the film very much and would highly recommend it. After reading the various reviews, I am reminded that the viewer sees a film through his own filters. I didn't walk away with many of the impressions that appear throughout the various reviews.

What I liked best, was what one reviewer seemed to like least. I found that the director was very subtle in dealing with many issues that can provoke strong reactions: homosexuality is not a theme, more of a fact. The Jewish/German issue is aging, but not dead. The Israeli/Palestinian issue is very much alive. The occupation continues, as do the suicide bombings. Or, the suicide bombers continue, as does the occupation. The viewer is not manipulated on any of these issues. They are brought up as they are.

It's a good movie, and I'm surprised that it didn't come to a theatre near me (Germany). I think it would appeal to the "mass movie audience".

What a wonderful movie! It has everything - mystery, romance, comedy AND English, Hebrew and German. A delightful and delicious surprise