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Title: The Kite Runner
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One thought that entered my mind after seeing “The Kite Runner” was that Marc Forster is one of our most promising directors working today. He directed the Oscar nominated “Finding Neverland,” and last year he directed the (sadly overlooked) “Stranger Than Fiction.” Both films made my top ten lists for the years they were released, and looks like “The Kite Runner” is picking up steam in the race to get on my top ten list this year. The movie has been surrounded with much controversy over the past several months, most of which has nothing to do with the movie itself (which is only PG-13 as opposed to the harsher R), but rather through the production. Though production controversies do (and have) scared people from seeing good movies, I’m hopeful people will overlook the controversy for this film, which is actually very uplifting in it’s own weird, disturbing way.
Based off the best selling book of the same name, the novel was unique primarily because it was the first major novel published in English by an author from Afghanistan. As such, the movie starts out in America, where an Afghanistani American named Amir (Khalid Abdalla) has just opened up a box containing his first major novel. He doesn’t get a chance to celebrate with his wife though, as he receives a phone call from someone he recognizes from very long ago. At this point the movie spends most of it’s time in the past, where Amir and his best friend Hassan play in the streets of a Taliban-free Afghanistan. While they have many hobbies that keep them entertained throughout the day, their favorite hobby is kite flying. They love the hobby so much, they enter kite flying contests, and they usually end up winning.
Their lives are changed though by three major events. The first event involves Hassan getting raped by a local gang. Hassan is too ashamed to tell anyone that he was raped, and Amir, who witnessed the incident, is ashamed that he was too afraid to help his friend. The friendship breaks. Then comes the Russian invasion, which forces Amir and his father to flee America, never to return to their homeland. The third event appears when Amir returns to Afghanistan, the Taliban now controls everything, and a shocking secret may give Amir a chance to amend for mistakes he’s made in the past. The events unveil themselves as if they were a well timed waltz, strung together so perfectly and poetically, that any strange occurrence would cripple the flow. As such the film is tragic, maybe even difficult to watch, but ultimately hopeful and powerful.
Forester’s “Finding Neverland” was a movie with an overshadowing theme of children leaving their childhood past behind and entering adulthood. “The Kite Runner” has a similar theme, though far less innocent and more mature this time around. By having no A-list actors the movie engulfs us in a powerful storyline no movie with an all-star cast could have. We are literally transported to this world, and we stay there without the slightest bit of lack of belief. Likewise the choice to sidestep the politics involving the Middle East war is a wise one, as we now have an emotionally charged film as opposed to a politically charged film. Some people will not like this film, as it will be tough to watch. This I understand. Though the movie is difficult to watch, I subscribe to the belief that if a movie is genuinely powerful and moving, then a few moments of discomfort is forgivable. This is one of the best films of the year.
- -Review By Kevin T. Rodriguez- -
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