Current world events have solidified the relevance of a film such as Monument. The picture tells the true story of Israeli architect Amnon Rechter and the memorial he created (along with his father, Yakov) that stood as a symbol to honor victims of war, no matter their religion or political affiliation. While the execution could be stronger on cinematic levels, the events depicted in the film are too important to ignore and Rechter’s story is one that should be better known.

Amnon (an excellent Joe Mazzello) and his father, Yacov (the cinema treasure that is Jon Voight), are respected Israeli architects. In 1999 (the penultimate year of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon) , the two were commissioned to build a monument to honor the fallen soldiers of the Southern Lebanese Army. The project is to be funded by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which will cause problems for the Rechter business and eventually confuse the morality of the entire project.

Amnon believes in unity and a more communal approach to the monument; firmly believing the project should stand as a remembrance for ALL who lost their lives during the occupation. His idea is to create a sacred and holy place where Christians, Muslims, and Jews come together to mourn and honor those who were sacrificed. Amnon’s idea causes rifts with the project’s backers, the soldiers who fight, and certain divisive religious factions of the region. Pushing back against the division sought by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and others, he moves forward, working with the SLA to assure safety while the construction commences in dangerous areas. To the shock of his father, the workers, and just about everyone, Amnon wants to do this without payment. This one will be from the heart.

Alena Alova has crafted some potent political and moral stances within her screenplay. As Amnon tells his father, “This is our Vietnam.”, the futility of the Israeli occupation comes front and center in the way it is seen by the people.

One of the film’s best moments is where Amnon gives a ride to four displaced women who each had family members killed in Lebanon. Dedicated protestors of the war, their ensuing conversation gives a face and (most importantly) a voice to the pain and loss that so many have to endure. 

In the script’s most powerful message, Amnon’s wife, Osnat (a solid Aviv Pinkus) explains to her husband how she (and many women) feels through a powerful line; “God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, and Abraham says yes. God didn’t ask Sarah because Sarah would have told God to fuck himself.”

Monument is peppered with potent truths such as these and the film’s dramatic impact occasionally hits deep. For those of us living and raised in America, it is unfathomable to imagine existing in an area where there is a 24 hours-a-day threat of violence and death. The 2026 United States is becoming the equivalent of a dictatorship and terrorist nation, but we are still decades removed from what the people of Lebanon, Israel, and other places in the area must endure. The strongest moments in this film get to the heart of what it means to live in such a world.

The biggest demerit within Monument lies in the hands of director Bryan Singer. The film is well-directed, but Singer crafts the story as more of a Cliff’s Notes version of Rechter’s experiences completing his memorial. This “bullet point” style occasionally works against the intended dramatic impact. The drama is certainly there and the performance from Mazzello is strong enough to tether the film to its audience, but the deeper subtexts found in the screenplay deserved stronger converstaions. 

To tell Amnon Rechter’s story, one must get to the intricacies of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. As a dedicated student of history, it is not for me to give the lessons regarding the politics of the region. Director Singer does as well as any American History book. There are nods to each character’s moral stance towards their nation’s political leanings and the conflict is briefly explained, but those who have no understanding of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon or the actions of the Hezbollah, will not come away with their doctorate in World Studies. Alena Alova’s screenplay is full of emotional power, but it is the film that feels as if there should have been another hour or more. 

Issues aside, Monument is a very good film. This is an important piece of cinema that works thanks to a supremely dedicated turns from Joseph Mazzello and Jon Voight and the weight of the powerful symbol of peace created by a man who believes in honor and unity in a time of division and sacrifice.

The film is now playing in the D.C. area and select cinemas across the country, and will be playing the LA Jewish Film Fest  Thursday May 14 at 7:30PM, with Jon Voight in attendance.

On Wednesday May 20, Monument will screen at the Russian American Cultural Center at the Center for Jewish History in New York.

Monument
Written by Alena Alova
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Joseph Mazzello, Jon Voight, Aviv Pinkus, Ori Pfeffer, Igal Naor

R, 113 Minutes, Bad Hat Harry, Freedom Films