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Powerful Story & Performances With "Kite Runner" Print E-mail
Written by STEVIE STYLES   
Friday, 28 March 2008
The Kite Runner is based on the national bestseller of the same name. First released in 2003, it is actually the first novel published in English by an author from Afghanistan. The story deals with the fate of two childhood boys and one’s quest for forgiveness and rectification of the past.

The Kite Runner
Entertainment
Art
Special Features

Directed by Marc Forster
Written by David Benioff based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini
Starring Khalid Abdalla, Zekeria Ebrahimi, Homayoun Ershadi and Ahmad Mahmidzada
Rated PG-13

The movie centers around the relationship of a well-to-do Afghan boy named Amir and his father’s servant son, Hassan. They are very close friends living in the district of Kabul. Regardless of their social difference, the two are inseparable until one day when Hassan is savagely attacked by the neighborhood bullies. So begins a wall that can not be broken down between the two.

This is a story about the hero and coward in us all. It’s about taking a certain path that will affect your whole life. It’s also about standing up, trying to make amends for the sins of your youth and trying to find a way to redeem yourself.

If you’ve been wondering what all the hype is about or a fan of the novel, The Kite Runner has just been released on DVD. The movie directed by Marc Foster, who brought us the wonderful Finding Neverland, has done a magnificent job of taking on this challenging and thought provoking story.

Along with the feature, this one disc set has a few extras to flesh out the story and give us an inside look into making the film. First up is the commentary track with director Marc Foster, writer of the novel Khaled Hosseini and the screenwriter David Benioff. This is a great source of information by all who was involved. It’s unusual for the film to have such a great relationship with both the novelists and screenwriter. This commentary is a great source in understanding the process of adopting the novel o film. It may also help to cut the creators some slack in some of the decisions they made in adapting the novel.

Along with the commentary track, the disc includes two featurettes. One entitled Words from the Kite Runner, an almost fifteen minute insight on bringing the novel to the screen. It particularly fleshes out how the director became interested in the novel and how the writer pursued writing instead of the medical field. The second featurette entitled

Images from the Kite Runner is a much longer feature that focuses on the making of the film. Both are great into getting more information on this strong but sometimes tough story.

Along with the theatrical trailer, the last extra is a Public Service Announcement With Khaled Hosseini. This is a brief little introduction that asks for your awareness and support to the harsh realities in Afghanistan. If there are any questions what these realities are you only have to watch the film or read the book to open your eyes.

The Kite Runner, like most stories that were originally novels, is difficult to translate to film. The film takes many liberties and cuts out many storylines to make the movie flow. Fans of the novel may have difficulty accepting these decisions, but overall the filmmakers have made a very strong and powerful film that will entertain and educate.

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