Director Fox and Writer Uchovsky have certainly tackled some huge issues here: the Holocaust, Israel's relations with neighboring countries, and not necessarily least, relations between gays and straights (the latter being about as "mine-field dangerous" as the subject of Israelis connecting with Palestinians). Of course, with over 15 years as apparently loving partners, these two men should have some expertise in at least one of the three issues just mentioned (I'll let you, dear reader, decide which). Not, myself, being in the slightest an expert on the Holocaust or Israeli foreign relations, I believe I'll keep the following comments aimed in the general direction of that third issue.
There have been tons of conjecture on major movie website Boards (such as this one's) as to what was the "real" relationship between Eyal and Axel (and where it might have been heading). Apparently Director Fox has been quoted to the effect that "Walk on Water" is based on a true story of which he'd become aware. That story involved a real-life Mossad agent who had come home one day and found his wife hanging from the ceiling. She'd left a note saying how hard life had become with him, living with a killer who'd turned into someone emotionally closed. The agent cracked on his next assignment, left Mossad and enrolled in university, studying literature and art. There he met a young boy and fell in love with him. Eventually the former agent does meet his lover's sister, falls in love with her, and they begin a family together.
As a several times viewer of this movie, I've never found much indication that the gay, real-life "near-ending" described by Fox ever made it into this film of his. Nevertheless, perhaps he was leaving a little room for just such speculation when he gave us this film's near-end Berlin bedroom scene between Eyal and Axel. And, when all is said and done, the film does conclude with the two of them back in that Sea of Galilee beach scene, and Eyal's closing it all out with his (what I'll call) "Ode to Axel."
Lastly though, it does have to be acknowledged that movies with too much of a gay theme are, obviously, hard sells anywhere: US, Europe and Israel, no doubt. Directors and writers have to look out for the old pocketbook....and rightfully so.
There have been tons of conjecture on major movie website Boards (such as this one's) as to what was the "real" relationship between Eyal and Axel (and where it might have been heading). Apparently Director Fox has been quoted to the effect that "Walk on Water" is based on a true story of which he'd become aware. That story involved a real-life Mossad agent who had come home one day and found his wife hanging from the ceiling. She'd left a note saying how hard life had become with him, living with a killer who'd turned into someone emotionally closed. The agent cracked on his next assignment, left Mossad and enrolled in university, studying literature and art. There he met a young boy and fell in love with him. Eventually the former agent does meet his lover's sister, falls in love with her, and they begin a family together.
As a several times viewer of this movie, I've never found much indication that the gay, real-life "near-ending" described by Fox ever made it into this film of his. Nevertheless, perhaps he was leaving a little room for just such speculation when he gave us this film's near-end Berlin bedroom scene between Eyal and Axel. And, when all is said and done, the film does conclude with the two of them back in that Sea of Galilee beach scene, and Eyal's closing it all out with his (what I'll call) "Ode to Axel."
Lastly though, it does have to be acknowledged that movies with too much of a gay theme are, obviously, hard sells anywhere: US, Europe and Israel, no doubt. Directors and writers have to look out for the old pocketbook....and rightfully so.