Special Movie Review - The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner


I've never read the book, but I have been intrigued about Khaled Hosseini's novel for some time now. I've heard much good praise, and thought the film would be a good place to go to get the gist of what the fuss was about.

Marc Forster, also known for his recent film Quantum of Solace, directed this saddening movie, about a boy named Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) living in Afghanistan in the 1970s, enjoying his boyhood with his Baba's (Homayoun Ershadi) servant and friend's son, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada). Hassan is known around town as a lower class than Amir, making him the subject of much ridicule, but Hassan is a faithful friend and a good person. One day, Amir and Hassan win a kite competition, where they cut everyone else's kite strings, and Hassan goes to get the kite for Amir - where "the kite runner" phrase comes in. Alone, however, Hassan is ambushed by three kids - one of which is the leader Assef (Elham Ehsas) - who were once threatened by Hassan's self-confidence and strength. As Amir goes to find him, he witnesses the kids rape and beat Hassan, and does not have the courage to interfere. Instead he runs off, tries to forget what he saw, and eventually ends up excluding Hassan from his life. Hassan and his father leave after they see how Amir treats their family, and, after the Russians invade Afghanistan, Amir and Baba end up leaving for California.


Amir grows up (played by Khalid Abdalla), gets a college degree, and helps his father at his work selling things at a bazaar. Amir hopes to be a writer, while Baba wants him to become a doctor. Over time, Amir meets his future wife, Soraya (Atossa Leoni), and they get a house and Amir has his book published. However, Amir is called to the home of his old dying friend Rahim Khan (Shaun Toub), who expresses his wish for Amir to go back to Afghanistan - now occupied by the Taliban - to rescue a boy that is Hassan's son, Sohrab (Ali Danish Bakhtyari). Amir finds that Hassan was killed by the Taliban and something else really important to the story that I won't disclose here. Other stuff happens that would pretty much spoil the movie, and Amir runs kites at the end.

Kind of had to cut that summary short, huh? Well, there's no fun in giving the whole movie away.


The Kite Runner's cast of characters is profound, each with their own strong emotions and personalities. Baba and Hassan are both strong-willed and do not stand for the atrocities of our world, whether it be the mocking of class or the rape of an innocent woman. Hassan always stands up for his beliefs in his young age, making him the more likable of Hassan and Amir. In a way, Amir is the character the audience will like the least, because of his impish nature and shortcomings. This is telling of the film itself, because it is carried by its secondary characters, and even though the main character doesn't have the strength that the audience would like to see through the first half of the movie, the theme comes into play well in the second act.

The transistion from present to past to present really work, as the backstory needs to be seen rather than just heard. Granted, it makes The Kite Runner longer - and, in some parts, scenes could have been cut out that weren't necessary - but the knowledge of Hassan's rape is an emotional scarring for both the viewer and Amir which will force its way back into existence 20 years later. The past has a way of presenting itself again in the film, to repeat itself, and so the backtracking is a way of visually aiding that theme.


The movie does work with some horrific themes, adding to the sad texture of the film. Dealing with class struggle gives the viewer a glimpse at just how selfish and self-confident people can be, not just in Afghanistan but all over the world. The rape of children; the stoning and ridiculous laws of the Taliban; all are put on display here as a cultural view of what is going on in the world, ones that we try to put in the back of our minds. There is also an aspect that looks at strength in an individual, and how hard it is to actually be the witness. In a sense, both Hassan and Amir suffer through their young adulthood - Hassan having, of course, a much greater sense of depression.

By the end of the film, Amir has redeemed himself to a degree. He has made mistakes in the past and tried to make up for them by rescuing Hassan's son, and, for the most part, he is enlightened. But the fact of the matter is that you can never wholly make up for what you didn't do or what mistake you have made, especially in the case of Hassan. Amir, having acted differently in his childhood, might have been able to prevent Hassan's death, had he left with Amir and Baba in the '70s. There is always a pervading sense of dread, that forgiveness can be gained by some degree but never completely. There can not be a sense of closure, only knowledge that one did what they could, and in this regard, The Kite Runner is terrifying. Even the film mentions the fact that saving one child from rape or torture in Afghanistan does not protect the rest, and living with this thought is torturous in itself. The air of futility is always there.


Even then, the movie is still an enjoyable experience, albeit a very melancholy, thought-provoking one. The way the past wraps around itself, like a giant towel, pulls the viewer in close; it's almost closer than you actually want to be, and for that, the film does what it aims to do. Make the viewer uncomfortable, make them angry at the evils of the world - make them DO something. Run after those kites, be faithful, because there's always a possibility that that kite will never come back.

The Kite Runner on Rotten Tomatoes