The Kite Runner

‘The Kite Runner’ is a cinematic adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini , directed by Marc Foster. The story is based in Afghanistan, beginning from the Pre-Soviet invasion and progressing along the Post-Soviet with the Taliban at the helm of affairs. Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) is a young boy whose father is a wealthy merchant. His only friend is the son of his servant, Hasan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada) who belongs to the long-downtrodden Hazara community.Their friendship is strengthened because of Hasan’s unquestioning devotion and genuine love for Amir; which Amir fails to return when he does not stand up for him in a shocking act of violence, the ghosts of which continue to haunt him when he shifts base to America. A phone call from his father-like figure Rahim Khan (Shaun Toub) makes him go back to his roots and face some bitter truths, the repurcussions of which mark his further journey as he tries to make the most of the second chance that life gives him to redeem himself based on Rahim Khan’s advice which also echoes the central theme of the movie-“There is a way to be good again”.

The movie tugs directly at your heart-strings and almost shocks you with its unashamed honesty. The direction by Marc Foster is extraordinary and stands out especially for his research and handling, though you wish the emotional scenes were a bit more taut- more so in the second half. The screenplay by David Benioff does justice to Khaled Hosseini’s novel, with no significant changes. The setting and the market scenes are so realistic that they make you flinch. It tends to lose its thread a little toward the climax when it gets a little too high on the drama quotient, but the overall impact is so powerful that it leaves you overwhelmed with varying emotions. It does not disappoint you on the acting front either. Khalid Abdalla as the adult Amir is good for his part and Homayoun Ershadi as Baba as well as Shaun Toub as Rahim Khan are outstanding but the real gems are Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada who play the parts of young Amir and Hasan respectively. They completely floor you with their charm and innocent but excellent portrayal of their parts. The equilibrium between drama and reality is steadfast.

‘The Kite Runner’ is multi-layered and serious but is highly engrossing all the same. Some stellar performances, armed with a strong script retaining the essence of Hosseini’s novel catapult this movie into the league of path-breaking cinema. You may have heard this line for several movies before but I have never seen apply itself more truly- only the hardest of hearts would fail to be moved.

My rating – 4.5/5