If you haven't flown a kite in years like me, you've probably forgotten their delicate grace as they dance across the blue sky. They are really quite lovely, and with as much grace as they fly, Marc Forster captures them with an equal amount of elegance in his film The Kite Runner.
The movie, based on a novel by a man not unlike its main character, is about the entire spectrum of human emotions, and then some. The Kite Runner is one of the loveliest films I have ever seen. The story spans across multiple decades-revealing information in a way similar to a Bollywood film, only thankfully without the ridiculous song and dance sagas. Amir and Hassan are two young boys living together with their fathers in Afghanistan. Amir's father is rich, while Hassan's father is his servant. The boys play like brothers, but the line that divides them is inescapable. The line reads: class and money.
Hassan would do anything for Amir, but unfortunately Amir is unlikely to do the same in return; Amir sees the line much more clearly than Hassan who is virtually blind to it, valuing friendship above all else. At Kabul's large kite flying contest, all of its boys stand in any available space amidst crowds or on taupe colored rooftops to find flying space, holding the spool in one hand and jockeying the string with the other. The objective is to "cut" the other fliers' kites, causing their string to snap, and to be the last kite flying. Each flier has at least one friend standing by to chase down any opponents kites the flier cuts - this friend is the kite runner.
During the contest that Amir and Hassan have endlessly prepared for together, Amir cuts one boy's kite and Hassan takes off to run it down for him. When Hassan has yet to return, Amir sets off to find him, only to encounter Hassan being bullied by a group of older boys who require him to relinquish the prize kite. Where Amir would gladly hand it over out of fear, Hassan grits his teeth and firmly says he will not; for his resistance, he takes a beating that will define their lives forever. Amir sees it take place, but is too scared to step in and help him; he pretends he didn't see it simply to save face, while the noble Hassan bears the burden of this horrific beating alone.
The line, that before was only of class and money, becomes something much more gruesome effectively ruining their friendship. Soon after, Russian invaders come and Amir and his father skip town, eventually settling in California's bay area. By the time we see the pair in America, Amir has grown; though years and geography separate him from that fateful day, he has not forgotten it and carries guilt with him always. After word comes from Afghanistan that his father's friend is not well, Amir must return there and is granted a chance to set things right with Hassan.
The story is beautifully written and seemingly effortlessly crafted on screen by The Kite Runner's director (who also did Finding Neverland). A script is only as good as its actors, and this cast was excellent. The boys who play Amir and Hassan are brilliant, with an understated charisma that leaps off the screen and will truly settle inside of you for a long time to come.
The man who plays the adult Amir, Khalid Abdalla (of United 93), is literally perfect. He is so believable as an adult with a scarred childhood, always playing every scene no matter how joyous, with just a hint of guilt and remorse. While the film is not always easy to watch, it is truly a must-see and with its timeliness in relation to America and its struggles in the Middle East, namely with the Taliban in Afghanistan, its almost unmatched as far as relevance. It in no way hits you over the head with it and if you don't want to see that side of things within the film, you don't have to; it's subtle enough that it creates a delicate backdrop for a powerful story that forces you to reel in your emotions along with the characters.
The kites are to this film what the "bag scene" was for American Beauty, except without the cheesy dialogue. Don't get me wrong, American Beauty is a great film, but that scene was pretty tacky; so pretend that dialogue hadn't been added and the bag was just shown simply as a bag, creating a skillful combination of drama and levity; this is what the kites were for me in The Kite Runner. They gave the film color and energy and weightlessness, but also allowed you to always stay connected with the characters holding the spools, not forgetting and not wanting to forget the deeply engaging story taking place on the ground.
DVD Bonus Features
The Blu-ray DVD comes with a nice collection of extras including back to back sections that were both very interesting. The first is "Words From the Kite Runner," which includes interviews with both the director and also the author of the novel on which the film is based. And next is the section, "Images From the Kite Runner," which is a sort of "making of" piece. Both are enjoyable to watch and give an interesting depth to the film. Also included is a commentary by the director and novel's author as well as its trailer -- which are both fairly standard.
"The Kite Runner" is on sale March 24, 2009 and is rated PG13. Drama. Directed by Marc Forster. Written by David Benioff (screenplay) , Khaled Hosseini (novel). Starring Atossa Leoni, Homayoun Ershadi, Khalid Abdalla.
