If you’ve been scouring the internet for information on a walk on water movie, you’ve likely realized something pretty quickly: it’s a crowded field of titles that all sound the same but couldn't be more different. We aren't talking about a biblical epic here. We’re talking about the 2004 Israeli thriller directed by Eytan Fox, a film that, frankly, doesn't get half the credit it deserves for how it handled the messy, jagged intersections of history and identity long before it was trendy to do so. It’s a movie about a Mossad agent, a Nazi war criminal, and a pair of German siblings, but it’s actually about how we carry the weight of our ancestors until it eventually breaks us.
The film is a slow burn. Honestly, it’s less of a "spy movie" and more of a psychological autopsy. You’ve got Lior Ashkenazi playing Eyal, a hitman who is essentially a human brick wall. He’s tough, closed-off, and efficient. But then he’s tasked with tracking down an old Nazi—Alfred Himmelman—by befriending the man’s grandchildren, Axel and Pia. That’s where things get weirdly emotional.
Why the Walk on Water Movie Still Hits Hard Today
Most thrillers from twenty years ago feel dated. The tech is clunky, the dialogue is stiff, and the politics are oversimplified. But this movie? It feels like it could have been released last week. It deals with the "third generation" struggle—the grandchildren of the Holocaust and the grandchildren of the Nazis trying to figure out if they can even exist in the same room without the ghost of the 1940s sucking the oxygen out of the air.
Eyal’s job is to kill. That is his primary function. But as he travels through Israel with Axel, a young German man who is his polar opposite—liberal, gay, and desperately trying to distance himself from his family’s blood-soaked past—the mission gets murky. You see Eyal's worldview start to crack. It’s not a sudden "lightbulb" moment like you see in bad Hollywood scripts. It’s a gradual, painful erosion of his prejudices.
The title itself isn't just some metaphorical fluff. There is a literal scene at the Sea of Galilee where the characters discuss the "miracle" of walking on water. In the context of the film, walking on water represents the impossible: moving forward without sinking into the depths of history. It’s about the suspension of disbelief required to forgive people for things they didn't personally do, but which they still benefit from or are haunted by.
The Casting Masterclass of Lior Ashkenazi and Knut Berger
If you haven't seen Lior Ashkenazi in other things (like Foxtrot or 7 Days in Entebbe), this is the place to start. He has this way of looking at a camera that makes you feel like he’s calculating exactly how to take you down. As Eyal, he represents the "Sabra" archetype—the tough, thorny Israeli who is soft on the inside but would never let you see it.
On the flip side, you have Knut Berger as Axel. Axel is the heart of the movie. He’s cheerful, open, and dangerously naive at times. The chemistry between these two is what makes the walk on water movie actually work. Without that friction, it’s just another procedural. Instead, it’s a character study. Axel’s presence forces Eyal to confront his own homophobia and his rigid definitions of what it means to be a "victim" or a "perpetrator."
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Breaking Down the Plot Without Spoilers (Mostly)
Let’s get into the weeds of the narrative structure. The film begins with Eyal completing a high-stakes hit, showing us his clinical detachment. Then, his wife commits suicide. This is a massive plot point that people often overlook when talking about the film's political themes. Eyal is a man who deals in death professionally, yet he is utterly paralyzed by the death he finds at home.
He’s given the Himmelman assignment as a sort of "active recovery." He poses as a tour guide. Imagine a Mossad assassin showing a young German guy around the Masada and the Dead Sea. It’s absurd. It’s tense.
- The Jerusalem Scenes: These aren't the postcard versions of the city. They feel lived-in and heavy with tension.
- The Berlin Transition: The final act moves to Germany, and the tone shifts entirely. The color palette changes. The stakes move from "national security" to "personal morality."
A lot of people think this is a movie about revenge. It's really not. It’s a movie about the exhaustion of revenge. By the time we get to the climax, the question isn't "will the Nazi die?" but rather "who has the right to kill him?" Is it the state? Is it the grandson? Or should time just be allowed to finish what it started?
Misconceptions and the "Biblical" Confusion
One of the biggest hurdles for this film’s SEO and general discoverability is that people keep confusing it with other things. There are documentaries about people literally trying to walk on water. There are faith-based films. This is neither.
This is a secular, gritty, and often uncomfortable look at modern identity. If you’re looking for a feel-good religious experience, you’re in the wrong theater. Director Eytan Fox is known for exploring the queer experience in Israel (like in his film Yossi & Jagger), and he brings that same nuance here. He doesn't treat Axel’s sexuality as a "twist." It’s just a part of who he is, and it serves as a mirror for Eyal’s own rigidness.
The Cinematography of the Dead Sea
There is something haunting about how the Dead Sea is shot in this film. It’s the lowest point on Earth. It’s a place where nothing can live, yet you float effortlessly. The symbolism is heavy-handed, sure, but it works. When Eyal and Axel are in the water, the physical boundaries between them start to dissolve.
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The cinematography by Tobias Hochstein captures the starkness of the Israeli desert against the cold, gray urban sprawl of Berlin. This visual contrast reinforces the internal conflict of the characters. They are caught between the warmth of their growing friendship and the cold reality of their heritage.
Addressing the Controversies
When the movie was released, it ruffled feathers. Some felt it was too "soft" on Germany. Others felt it was too critical of the Israeli military mindset. That’s usually a sign of a good film. It doesn't give you the easy out.
The ending—which I won't give away here—is divisive. Some find it poetic. Others find it a bit too convenient. But in the context of the walk on water movie, it serves as the final test for Eyal. He has to decide if he is a tool of the state or a human being with his own moral compass.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Walk on Water was a hit on the festival circuit. It won several Israeli Academy Awards (Ophirs) and was a darling at the Berlin International Film Festival. But its real legacy is how it paved the way for other Israeli films to tackle complex political themes through a personal lens.
It proved that you could have a movie about the Mossad that wasn't an action flick. You could have a movie about the Holocaust that didn't take place in a camp. It moved the conversation forward by looking at the "afterlife" of trauma.
Nuance in the Dialogue
The script (written by Gal Uchovsky) is remarkably sharp. It avoids the "speechifying" that plagues most political dramas. People talk like people. They argue about music. They complain about the heat. They make bad jokes.
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"You think you can just come here and wash away your grandfather's sins with a dip in the Jordan?"
That’s not a real quote, but it captures the vibe of the skepticism Eyal feels toward Axel. The dialogue is a constant tug-of-war between Axel’s desire to connect and Eyal’s instinct to repel.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going to sit down and watch this, do yourself a favor: don’t look for a "bad guy." Even the "villain" of the piece is a frail, dying old man. The "hero" is a man who kills for a living. The movie exists in the gray area.
- Watch the body language: Lior Ashkenazi does more with his shoulders than most actors do with their whole faces.
- Listen to the soundtrack: The music blends traditional sounds with modern pop, reflecting the clashing cultures.
- Pay attention to the side characters: Pia, Axel’s sister, provides a different perspective on the German "guilt" complex—one that is more about moving on than Axel’s obsessive atonement.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
If you are interested in the themes found in the walk on water movie, your next steps should involve exploring the broader world of Israeli cinema and "Third Generation" literature. This isn't just a movie; it's a gateway into a specific cultural dialogue.
- Explore Eytan Fox’s Filmography: Start with Yossi & Jagger (2002) for a shorter, more intimate look at the Israeli military, then move to The Bubble (2006) for a look at the Tel Aviv art scene and the conflict.
- Research the "Third Generation" Concept: Look into the psychological studies of grandchildren of both survivors and perpetrators. It adds a massive layer of depth to the interactions between Axel and Eyal.
- Contextualize the Mossad: If the "spy" element interested you more than the drama, read Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service by Michael Bar-Zohar to see how the real-life agency operates compared to its cinematic depiction.
- Analyze the Setting: Compare how the Sea of Galilee is used here versus its depiction in traditional cinema. Notice how Fox strips away the "holiness" to focus on the human struggle.
Ultimately, this film remains a staple of international cinema because it refuses to provide easy answers. It suggests that while we cannot walk on water, we might just be able to keep each other from drowning if we’re willing to reach across the divide.
Check your local streaming services or library for a copy of Walk on Water. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, mostly because it asks the one question we all struggle with: how much of our past are we required to carry?