The Kite Runner

By Nathan Young

Films adapted from books are an inexact science. Lovers of a book rarely enjoy the movie as much. This is at least partly due to the fact that it is hard to include everything from a book into the movie because of time constraints.

‘The Kite Runner’ is the latest best-selling novel to get the big screen treatment. Author Khaled Hosseini’s first book is a good fit as a film and I am giving it a ‘thumbs up’.

Director Marc Forster does a brilliant job of bringing to life the vision of Hosseini and screenwriter David Benioff. The story focuses on Amir (Khalid Abdalla), an Afghani man living in modern day San Francisco. Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan (Shaun Toub), an old friend living in Pakistan. Rahim tells Amir that he needs to come to Pakistan and that there is a way to be good again, and the film shifts to Amir as a child.

Amir’s best friend is Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada). The boys share a special bond despite the fact that Hassan is Amir’s servant. One day after Amir (played as a child by Zekeria Ebrahimi) wins a prestigious kite race in Kabul, Hassan is brutally raped by a group of older boys. Amir watches the whole thing from a distance, but does nothing. The fallout from the incident is just one of several reasons Hassan and his father eventually leave the home of Baba (Amir’s father, played by Homayoun Ershadi) and Amir.

Flashing back to the present, Amir finds out from Rahim Khan that Hassan has been killed and that he left behind a son in Kabul. Knowing about the attack on Hassan and Amir’s deep sense of guilt about it, Rahim Khan suggests that Amir go find the boy and take him back to America. Amir agrees and sets out to find Sohrab (Ali Danish Bakhty Ari).

This film is wonderful in so many ways. The adaptation is one of the best I have ever seen. There are some things that were left out that I wish would have been included, but that is to be expected. The acting is brilliant as is Forster's direction. The story is easy to follow even though it switches between English and Farsi (and even some Russian). The scenes in Afghanistan and Pakistan were shot in China and the cinematography is both bleak and beautiful.

The highlight of the film is Mahmidzada's performance. At the young age of 12, Mahmidzada completely becomes Hassan. It is a complex role, and Mahmidzada brings out both joy and sadness that are rarely seen from most adult actors. Plus, he is adorable.

Other notable performances in the film include Ershadi as Amir's father and Atossa Leoni as Amir's wife Soraya. Ershadi is intimidating yet honorable as Baba. He also deftly handles the character's rapid decline in health. Leoni is charming in the role of Soraya. Amir's flirtation and subsequent courtship of her is one of the most memorable parts of the film.

This film has a little bit of everything. It mixes elements of suspense, action, drama and fantasy with bits of sorrow and joy sprinkled in. While the overall tone of the film is a sad one, the ultimate message is one of hope and redemption. I strongly recommend it.