Customer Reviews:
Getting out of the boat..........2007-09-09
The real meaning of 'walking on water' is that one has to get out of the boat and have enough confidence to do it. That is also the theme of this film, with its connections to the past and the present in an uneasy mingling of prejudices and learning; how to overcome those personal inhibitions and flaws to finally be able to walk on water.
Axel, the German visitor to Israel, is confident in himself and his world, whereas the Mossad agent Eyal is in the same measure prejudiced and miopic in his views vis-avis Germans and Arabs. Assigned to shadow Axel, in the guise of a tourguide, and his sister Pia who lives in a Kibbutz, to find the grandfather of the two, an inveterate Nazi, the plot of his assassination and dealing with ingrained personal hatred here is really only the spalier along which the personal developments of the characters are grown, pruned and rearranged. The message of the film is that by overcoming personal bias one can improve the world and gain individually.
The film could have benefitted from some stricter editing and enhanced dialogue in some scenes, but overall it is a well received effort and worth watching.
Eytan Fox, the director, also created the beautiful film: Yossi and Jagger.
Interesting Twist to the Stockholm Syndrome.......2007-02-01
This film is about finding a Nazi approximately 50 years after World War II in order to assassinate him. The Mossad agent, Eyal, just returned from Turkey and killed a terrorist there. His new assignment is to be a tour guide to a young German named Alex Himmelman, whose grandfather was the Nazi killer. The plan is to get friendly with this tourist and learn whether or not his grandfather is still alive, then "to do God's work before God is ready to take him" according to the Director of Mossad. The elder Himmellman is believed to be alive in Argentina where he escaped after the war. Unfortunately, when Eyal arrives home after the Turkish assignment, he finds his wife dead on their bed. She had committed suicide ... This life-altering event may affect his judgement and skills according to his superior. He is offered counseling but declines. His shooting abilities are tested on a target range from time to time, to ensure he is able to complete this important mission.
The film is fascinating on many levels. It delves into a deeply serious subject and questions the ethics of doing this type of work in a most creative and artistic manner. As Eyal becomes more friendly with Alex and his sister Pia who lives on a kibbutz, he begins to like them. Eyal places a bug in Pia's apartment to catch any conversation they may have about their grandfather's past. The conversations are all innocent until one night, when Alex tries to pursuade Pia to return to Berlin to visit her parents, to attend her father's birthday party. It turns out, Pia had a huge fight with her dad about the cover-up of what her grandfather had done during the war. One does wonder, why does the granddaughter of a Nazi end up working in a kibbutz in Israel? The film builds suspense and mystery based on this very question. The complex nature of the film makes it a superior viewing experience. The subject of the film is dealt with in a senstive manner and is balanced with humor. Eyal is played by a very handsome Israeli actor who befriends Alex and then learns by chance that Alex is gay. This subject is presented in a natural flow within the story line of the film ... The metaphor of "walking on water" as Jesus did on the Sea of Galilee is used with great affect and meaning. The viewer will be thrilled and entertained as intensity builds and the mysteries become more complex before they are resolved. There is a huge unexpected climax before the surprise ending brings about a 360 degree resolution to the conflicts. This is a most highly recommended viewing experience. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
Israeli and German confront their anguished past........2007-01-06
This fine Israeli film explores what happens when a Mossad agent and descendant of Holocaust victims is assigned as a tour guide to the grandson of a notorious Nazi war criminal with a mission to assassinate the old man.
First in Israel and then Berlin the Mossad agent Eyal (Lior Ashkenazi) befriends the grandson Axel Himmelman (Knut Berger) and his sister Pia (Caroline Peters).
Both enlightening and fascinating the film brings face to face the Israeli agents complete indifference to the plight of the Palestinians, the persistent almost claustrophobic horror of suicide bombings, the looming shadow of the holocaust.
The dilemma of younger Germans is portrayed by the sister Pia who escapes the knowledge of her family's involvement in the holocaust by living in a Kibbutz, and the brother who ignores it until he is forced to confront Germany's Nazi past in conversations with Eyal.
There are only revelations and no answers in this very powerful film.
Serious and introspective on multiple levels.......2005-12-31
Walk on Water is the kind of film that critics will enjoy much more than the average viewer. It's a serious movie, one dealing with a whole assortment of complex issues far bigger than the characters themselves; I found it surprisingly morally ambivalent, though. It has many ways to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, and some folks don't like that feeling. And, truth be told, I don't think it went as deeply into these characters' minds as it could have, and that gives the final scene something of a false ring. Is it an excellent film? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Not so much.
Lior Ashkenazi plays Eyal, an Israeli agent specializing in quiet assassination. After returning home following a successful mission against a Hamas leader, he finds his wife dead by her own hands and a farewell note (the contents of which we hear only at the end of the film). He internalizes his grief and continues work - only his boss has now given him an assignment he cares little about. A Nazi war criminal has disappeared from his home in Argentina, and the boss thinks that the man's grandchildren may provide the key to his location. And so it is that Eyal takes on the role of an Israeli tour guide to show Axel Himmelman (Knut Berger) the sights when he arrives to visit his sister Pia (Carolina Peters) in Israel - even though Eyal really doesn't care about exacting justice on a long-ago killer with one foot already in the grave. He and Axel develop a strange kind of relationship over the course of a couple of weeks, though. Axel is the kind of guy who wonders how desperate the Palestinian suicide bombers must be to do what they do, while Eyal considers them animals. Eyal wants to know what it was like when Axel first came to understand what his countrymen had done during World War II, but neither man seems all that passionate about the subject. The two men also discuss much more than I cared to hear about homosexuality, as Axel is openly gay - even taking a Palestinian friend during his visit. I should also add that I saw far more of these men than I wanted to, as I never expected to see a scene featuring full frontal nudity in this film - but it's there. I really could have done without that.
The film did let me take a gander at several historic sites in Israel, but the latter half of the film shifts to Germany. It is there that Eyal will have to come to terms with all of the feelings churning inside him since his wife's suicide. Ultimately, he faces a moral choice that forces him to reexamine his whole life. In the end, I can't say I really know how to interpret this film, as it asks deep questions without providing answers (largely because there really are no answers). This is an almost exclusively psychological film; don't expect to see a lot of action scenes. The story is about tearing down walls, coming to terms with the past, and - albeit slightly - looking ahead to a better future. To me, though, the whole thing was just too morally ambivalent, as the film tries to take on too many big issues at one and the same time.
Customer Reviews:
Getting out of the boat..........2007-09-09
The real meaning of 'walking on water' is that one has to get out of the boat and have enough confidence to do it. That is also the theme of this film, with its connections to the past and the present in an uneasy mingling of prejudices and learning; how to overcome those personal inhibitions and flaws to finally be able to walk on water.
Axel, the German visitor to Israel, is confident in himself and his world, whereas the Mossad agent Eyal is in the same measure prejudiced and miopic in his views vis-avis Germans and Arabs. Assigned to shadow Axel, in the guise of a tourguide, and his sister Pia who lives in a Kibbutz, to find the grandfather of the two, an inveterate Nazi, the plot of his assassination and dealing with ingrained personal hatred here is really only the spalier along which the personal developments of the characters are grown, pruned and rearranged. The message of the film is that by overcoming personal bias one can improve the world and gain individually.
The film could have benefitted from some stricter editing and enhanced dialogue in some scenes, but overall it is a well received effort and worth watching.
Eytan Fox, the director, also created the beautiful film: Yossi and Jagger.
Interesting Twist to the Stockholm Syndrome.......2007-02-01
This film is about finding a Nazi approximately 50 years after World War II in order to assassinate him. The Mossad agent, Eyal, just returned from Turkey and killed a terrorist there. His new assignment is to be a tour guide to a young German named Alex Himmelman, whose grandfather was the Nazi killer. The plan is to get friendly with this tourist and learn whether or not his grandfather is still alive, then "to do God's work before God is ready to take him" according to the Director of Mossad. The elder Himmellman is believed to be alive in Argentina where he escaped after the war. Unfortunately, when Eyal arrives home after the Turkish assignment, he finds his wife dead on their bed. She had committed suicide ... This life-altering event may affect his judgement and skills according to his superior. He is offered counseling but declines. His shooting abilities are tested on a target range from time to time, to ensure he is able to complete this important mission.
The film is fascinating on many levels. It delves into a deeply serious subject and questions the ethics of doing this type of work in a most creative and artistic manner. As Eyal becomes more friendly with Alex and his sister Pia who lives on a kibbutz, he begins to like them. Eyal places a bug in Pia's apartment to catch any conversation they may have about their grandfather's past. The conversations are all innocent until one night, when Alex tries to pursuade Pia to return to Berlin to visit her parents, to attend her father's birthday party. It turns out, Pia had a huge fight with her dad about the cover-up of what her grandfather had done during the war. One does wonder, why does the granddaughter of a Nazi end up working in a kibbutz in Israel? The film builds suspense and mystery based on this very question. The complex nature of the film makes it a superior viewing experience. The subject of the film is dealt with in a senstive manner and is balanced with humor. Eyal is played by a very handsome Israeli actor who befriends Alex and then learns by chance that Alex is gay. This subject is presented in a natural flow within the story line of the film ... The metaphor of "walking on water" as Jesus did on the Sea of Galilee is used with great affect and meaning. The viewer will be thrilled and entertained as intensity builds and the mysteries become more complex before they are resolved. There is a huge unexpected climax before the surprise ending brings about a 360 degree resolution to the conflicts. This is a most highly recommended viewing experience. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
Israeli and German confront their anguished past........2007-01-06
This fine Israeli film explores what happens when a Mossad agent and descendant of Holocaust victims is assigned as a tour guide to the grandson of a notorious Nazi war criminal with a mission to assassinate the old man.
First in Israel and then Berlin the Mossad agent Eyal (Lior Ashkenazi) befriends the grandson Axel Himmelman (Knut Berger) and his sister Pia (Caroline Peters).
Both enlightening and fascinating the film brings face to face the Israeli agents complete indifference to the plight of the Palestinians, the persistent almost claustrophobic horror of suicide bombings, the looming shadow of the holocaust.
The dilemma of younger Germans is portrayed by the sister Pia who escapes the knowledge of her family's involvement in the holocaust by living in a Kibbutz, and the brother who ignores it until he is forced to confront Germany's Nazi past in conversations with Eyal.
There are only revelations and no answers in this very powerful film.
Serious and introspective on multiple levels.......2005-12-31
Walk on Water is the kind of film that critics will enjoy much more than the average viewer. It's a serious movie, one dealing with a whole assortment of complex issues far bigger than the characters themselves; I found it surprisingly morally ambivalent, though. It has many ways to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, and some folks don't like that feeling. And, truth be told, I don't think it went as deeply into these characters' minds as it could have, and that gives the final scene something of a false ring. Is it an excellent film? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Not so much.
Lior Ashkenazi plays Eyal, an Israeli agent specializing in quiet assassination. After returning home following a successful mission against a Hamas leader, he finds his wife dead by her own hands and a farewell note (the contents of which we hear only at the end of the film). He internalizes his grief and continues work - only his boss has now given him an assignment he cares little about. A Nazi war criminal has disappeared from his home in Argentina, and the boss thinks that the man's grandchildren may provide the key to his location. And so it is that Eyal takes on the role of an Israeli tour guide to show Axel Himmelman (Knut Berger) the sights when he arrives to visit his sister Pia (Carolina Peters) in Israel - even though Eyal really doesn't care about exacting justice on a long-ago killer with one foot already in the grave. He and Axel develop a strange kind of relationship over the course of a couple of weeks, though. Axel is the kind of guy who wonders how desperate the Palestinian suicide bombers must be to do what they do, while Eyal considers them animals. Eyal wants to know what it was like when Axel first came to understand what his countrymen had done during World War II, but neither man seems all that passionate about the subject. The two men also discuss much more than I cared to hear about homosexuality, as Axel is openly gay - even taking a Palestinian friend during his visit. I should also add that I saw far more of these men than I wanted to, as I never expected to see a scene featuring full frontal nudity in this film - but it's there. I really could have done without that.
The film did let me take a gander at several historic sites in Israel, but the latter half of the film shifts to Germany. It is there that Eyal will have to come to terms with all of the feelings churning inside him since his wife's suicide. Ultimately, he faces a moral choice that forces him to reexamine his whole life. In the end, I can't say I really know how to interpret this film, as it asks deep questions without providing answers (largely because there really are no answers). This is an almost exclusively psychological film; don't expect to see a lot of action scenes. The story is about tearing down walls, coming to terms with the past, and - albeit slightly - looking ahead to a better future. To me, though, the whole thing was just too morally ambivalent, as the film tries to take on too many big issues at one and the same time.
UK DVD:
- Westler [1986]
- Yoga Pregnancy: Pre- and Post-Natal Workouts [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Yoga Zone: Stretching For Flexibility (Beginner to Intermediate) [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Yoga Zone: Yoga for a Strong & Healthy Back [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Zero Patience [1993]
- 13 Going On 30 [2004]
- 200 American [2006]
- 20 Centimetres [2005]
- All Over Me [1996] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- An Early Frost [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
UK DVD List
UK DVD
![Walk on Water [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21NYJXURzzL.jpg)
All World Cinema
|
World Cinema
|
Categories
|
DVD
|
Video
![WTC View [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000GDH8MO.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
WTC View [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Late Marriage [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008H2NK.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Late Marriage [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Wild Side [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000AQ68W8.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Wild Side [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000K2V7EG.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Amor de Hombres [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008R9L3.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Amor de Hombres [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Walk on Water [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://www.bill88.com/buy.gif)
![Walk on Water [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)