A Movie Review of The Kite Runner

With ‘The Kite Runner’ novel selling over two million copies, the 2007 blockbuster movie had to live up to expectations Khaled Hosseini first created. The movie is a clear description of the best selling book creating much of the emotions a reader will experience when reading the book. A touching story of an Afghan child, we watch his life evolve from a child to adult.

As much as a good reception this film gained by the public, it was banned by the Afghan government because of the rape scene and ethnic issues the film highlights. Many of the people from other countries did not know what went on in this period of Afghanistan. They were unaware of the hatred, the corruption and wars. The film achieves a strong representation of a story that could well have possibly been true for all the audience knows.

Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) is a young boy living in Kabul, Afghanistan. He has a best friend being his father’s Hazara servant’s son, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada ). Amir likes to read stories to Hassan because he was not educated and cannot read. We find that Amir likes to go into writing fictional stories. However, his father, Baba (Homayoun Ershadi) discourages this and would rather Amir toughened up.

Assef (Elham Ehsas) dislikes Hazaras bringing the first bit of corruption into the film. Hassan stands up for himself and Amir using a slingshot as a weapon to stop Assef hurting them. Assef warns Hassan of revenge which we find out to be more horrific than we could have ever imagined.

A kite tournament with ‘last kite flying’ (by cutting other kites) rules takes place in Kabul with Amir and Hassan involved. They win with Hassan as the kite runner going through the back streets to find the victorious kite. Amir follows him and watches him bump into Assef, who demands the kite over. Hassan refuses and gets raped by Assef, with the coward Amir watching from a distance. From that point onwards, Amir and Hassan’s relationship becomes broken.

The Soviet Union invasion forces Amir and Baba out of the country, seeking refuge in America. Amir (Khalid Abdalla), years later, becomes a writer marrying Soraya (Atossa Leoni). Baba, old now, is getting more ill as time goes by until one night, he passes away.

Amir later finds out that Baba’s friend Rahim Khan (Atossa Leoni) is ill so he seeks to see him back in Afghanistan. Amir finds Rahim in Kabul which has now been sadly destroyed by the Taliban and warfare. Rahim Khan notifies Amir that Hassan was in fact his brother all along which explains why Baba in some moments of his life treated Hassan like a son. Rahim goes on to say Hassan had died refusing to do what the Taliban wanted and also had a son, of which is in Afghanistan still. Therefore, Amir searches for his long lost nephew.

After searching near and far, he finds his nephew, Sohrab (Ali Danish Bakhtyari) in the hands of soldiers. Wearing a beard to cover his clean shave, Amir’s identity is revealed by a soldier, we all find out to be as Assef (Abdul Salaam Yusoufzai). He starts to violently attack Amir and is stopped by Sohrab, flinging a stone in Assef’s eye, using a slingshot: similar to the one Hassan used to defend him all those years ago. They escape the country back to America, hoping to give Sohrab a chance of a new life.

The film ends with Amir, Soraya and Sohrab on a field, watching kites fly in the air. Sohrab has been quiet the time we have seen him of which Amir tries to change. He buys a kit and tells Sohrab that Hassan was the best kite runner in all of Kabul. He flies the kite and duels with another kite to later cut it down and win. We are left with Amir chasing the kite, falling out of the sky, shouting to Sohrab how he will get the kite, ‘a thousand times for you’: just like Hassan once said to Amir when he won his first kite tournament.

The Kite Runner is a compelling story of the struggles many Afghans faced during this period. It highlights the importance of friendship and family that they are the ones that are and should be there for you in times of need. Morals are tested throughout the film, especially at the point when Amir is watching his best friend get raped. Should he have stopped them? Should he have helped his friend? We know Hassan would have done what he could for Amir. Even so, maximum redemption is achieved by Amir for saving Hassan’s son to live a more peaceful life in America.