The movie centers around the relationship of a well-to-do Afghan boy named Amir and his father’s servant son, Hassan. Although unusual, the two are best friends living in the little district of Kabu in Afghanistan. Regardless of their social difference, the two are inseparable until one profound day after a game of “kite fighting” that would change everything. When Hassan searches the city to find the winning kite, he is savagely raped by the neighborhood bully. Although Amir sees it happening he is hiding frozen in fear and does not aid him. The two do not tell anyone and when they arrive home, Amir’s father shows him love and admiration for winning the tournament. Feeling both shame and worried his father might not love him if he knows the truth, he devises a plan for Hassan to leave their household. Shortly there after the Russians invade Afghanistan and Amir and his father have to flee to avoid prosecution. The two eventually relocate to the United States. Life in America is quite different compared to the luxury they lived back in Kabu. Now as an adult, Amir learns he has a second chance to be “good again” and find redemption for his past.
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 looking amazing on blu-ray. The movie directed by Marc Foster, who brought us the wonderful Finding Neverland and more recently the latest James Bond movie 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. The first one is 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 the writing bug 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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