REVIEW -- The Kite Runner

Director Marc Forster’s adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s international bestseller “The Kite Runner” is a highly effective and faithful rendition of the beloved book. The film is visually pleasing, and though it lacks the voice of the first-person narrator, it speaks through the actors and the beautifully rendered scenes. “The Kite Runner” is an ethical tale of fathers and sons, friendship and betrayal, and guilt and redemption, set against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s turbulent politics, past and present.

Screenplay writer David Benioff (“Gladiator,” “Troy”) seems to go out of his way to stay true to the novels most important plot points. Benioff has condensed the characters and the events, but doesn’t fail to incorporate the important aspects, noticeably in much of the dialogue, which was often lifted directly off the printed page. He finds a natural balance between English and Dari delivery and because the cast were all native speakers of the language, it was more authentic and honest.

Like the book, the film strides a fine line between being sentimental and moving. If some sequences in the film seem a bit conventional, it’s because of their existence in the source material.

The story is separated into three sections. The first, set in 1978 Afghanistan, concerns the two boys in their younger years, Amir (the well-to-do Afghani boy and protagonist) and Hassan (the loyal Hazara friend and servant.) This section follows them throughout their close friendship – from their love of kite flying and American action movies, all the way through to the heartbreaking beating and rape of Hassan. This creates the tension throughout the story, settling into Amir’s mind as his first betrayal to his loyal friend – he is forever guilty.

The second, set in California and cut short compared to the book, portrays him and his father after they fled the country, leading to Amir’s marriage and his father’s eventual death because of cancer. The third section brings the story to a full circle. It takes Amir back to Afghanistan after a call from his father’s best friend, Rhahim Khan, telling him “there is a way to be good again.” On his journey back, Amir learns the truth about the life that he led when he was younger, and the truth about Hassan. Khan gives him his opportunity of redemption. Amir takes this chance, and the last chapter of the film soars through emotional realism, bringing the entire story to a full round.

Loyal readers of the beloved book will enjoy the faithful rendition, the genuinely selected cast, and the lovely rendered scenes. Though, it is true what they say about adaptations of books to film – the book will always be slightly better and in this case, it was no different. What Forster and his team were able to achieve will not disappoint too drastically, for the film was an amazing portrayal of the tale of friendship, and of how, though life may be haunted by guilt, “there is a way to be good again.”

By Victoria Phetmisy
Staff Writer, District