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While celebrating the publication of his first book, Amir (Khalid Abdalla) receives a phone call from his father’s old friend—and he’s immediately taken back in time to his childhood in Afghanistan.
Growing up in Kabul in the ‘70s, Amir (played as a child by Zekeria Ebrahimi) looked forward to nothing more than the annual kite tournament, in which the children of Kabul took to the streets with their best kites, trying to knock their opponents’ kites from the sky. Amir’s father was once a kite champion—and Amir wanted nothing more than to make his father proud by following in his footsteps.
Always at Amir’s side was his best friend and servant boy Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada), who would stand up for Amir when he was too afraid to stand up for himself. Shame and fear eventually made Amir turn his back on his best friend. But now, years later, obligation, dedication, and love bring him back to a war-torn Afghanistan and force him to face the mistakes he made in the past.
Based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner tells a powerful story about friendship, love, and redemption. Though the film sometimes moves at a slow and deliberate pace, it’s captivating nonetheless—and you’ll find yourself caught up in the story and the characters and the beautiful cinematography. Even though the story isn’t always light and pleasant and easy to watch, the film has a richness and a texture to it that makes it beautiful, even during its most difficult moments.
There’s just so much to take in here—from the children’s graceful and bright-colored kites to the simple friendship between the two young boys to the story’s layers of culture and history. Still, director Marc Foster keeps things relatively simple—somehow managing to touch on each aspect of the story without getting too wrapped up in the details. On one hand, that will leave you wanting to know more—more about the kite tournaments, more about the political climate in Afghanistan in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But, at the same time, it keeps the film from feeling too heavy.
Since I [purposely] refrained from reading the book before seeing the movie, I can’t compare the two—but, from my point of view, Foster has definitely succeeded in turning a successful book into a memorable film. The characters are real—brought to life through noteworthy performances—and the story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. If you haven’t already read the book, you’ll want to pick up a copy after seeing the film.
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