The Kite Runner (film)

The Kite Runner
American theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marc Forster
Produced by	Walter Parkes Laurie McDonald Sam Mendes Sidney Kimmel
Screenplay by	David Benioff
Based on	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Starring	Khalid Abdalla Zekeria Ebrahimi Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada Homayoun Ershadi
Music by	Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography	Roberto Schaefer
Editing by	Matt Chesse
Studio	Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Participant Productions Paramount Classics
Distributed by	DreamWorks Pictures
Release date(s)	December 14, 2007 (2007-12-14)
Running time	128 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Persian English Russian
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$73,276,047

The Kite Runner is a 2007 drama film directed by Marc Forster based on the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini. It tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

Though most of the film is set in Afghanistan, these parts were mostly shot in Kashgar, China, due to the dangers of filming in Afghanistan at the time. the majority of the film's dialogue is in Dari, with the remainder spoken in English. The child actors are native speakers, but several adult actors had to learn Dari. Filming wrapped up on December 21, 2006, and the film was expected to be released on November 2, 2007. However, after concern for the safety of the young actors in the film due to fears of violent reprisals to the sexual nature of some scenes in which they appear, its release date was pushed back six weeks to December 14, 2007. The Kite Runner was released on DVD on March 25, 2008. A HD DVD release was announced for the same date, but was canceled following the format's demise.

The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007. The film's score by Alberto Iglesias was nominated for Best Original Score at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

Plot

In Kabul, prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, well-to-do young boy Amir and his young Hazara servant Hassan are best friends. Hassan's father is servant and a long time friend of Amir's father, Babe. Amir writes and reads stories to the illiterate Hassan. Baba, is contemptuous of Amir's writing and regards him as a weakling for letting Hassan protect him from bullies. Baba's friend, Rahim Khan, encourages Amir. Another boy, Assef, confronts Hassan and Amir, but Hassan prevents the attack with a slingshot, a birthday gift from Amir. Assef swears revenge.

Amir and Hassan win a kite running competition. Amir sends Hassan to retrieve the kite, when Hassan does not return Amir goes in search of him. Assef confronts Hassan asking him to hand over the kite, he states that Amir believes Hassan to be no more valuable than an "ugly pet" and would not stand up for Hassan like Hassan is about to do for Amir. Amir, watching from a hidden place, witnesses Assef rape Hassan. Amir runs away and does not acknowledge the rape. Eventually Amir and Hassan's friendship deteriorate, Amir attacking Hassan and claiming him to be a "coward." Amir accuses Hassan of stealing his watch, so he and his father will be fired and forced to leave, to which Hassan admits guilt despite not having committed the crime. Baba eagerly forgives Hassan, however Hassan's father claims they must leave life "is now impossible for us [sic]" much to Baba's shock.

Soon the Soviets invade Afghanistan, forcing Baba, a known anti-communist, to flee the country, leaving Rahim Khan as property caretaker. En route to Pakistan, Baba risks his life defending a female refugee from a Soviet soldier who demands to rape her in return for safe passage for all. Baba and Amir eventually reach the United States as refugees in San Francisco, California. Baba tends a gas station while Amir attends community college and vends at a weekly flea market. There, Amir meets Soraya Taheri; Soraya is interested in Amir's writing although her father, the ex-General Taheri, a Pashtun, is contemptuous. Baba becomes mortally ill; he obtains General Taheri's permission for Amir to marry Soraya. They are happily married despite an inability to conceive children. Amir publishes his first novel.

Rahim Khan contacts Amir, asking him to hurry to Pakistan. Amir arrives to learn that Hassan had become caretaker of Baba's house, but the Taliban executed him and his wife for refusing to abandon the property. Rahim further reveals that Hassan was in fact Amir's half-brother, son of Baba and Ali's wife. Amir reads a letter from Hassan decrying what happened to Afghanistan and asking Amir to one day return. Rahim Khan reveals he wishes Amir to retrieve Hassan's now orphaned son, Sohrab. Amir, overcoming fearful reluctance, arrives in Taliban-controlled Kabul in disguise. Amir's driver helps him observe the difficulties of life under the Taliban.

Tracing Sohrab to an orphanage, they learn that a Taliban official who regularly demands children for nefarious purposes (in return for much needed donations) has recently taken Sohrab. Amir and Farid are told that they can meet the official at a football match, where he regularly punishes innocent people. Reluctantly Amir accompanies Farid to a football match in order to see this official, and witnesses a half-time stoning of accused adulterers. Amir arranges an appointment at the official's heavily guarded home and discovers that this is none other than the bully Assef. Despite the ban on music and dancing, Sohrab is presented as Assef's dance boy.

Amir stands up to Assef, demanding Sohrab be released to him. Assef agrees but makes a deal, saying that Amir must fight and win the boy. In the end, Assef beats Amir. Witnessing this, Sohrab, secretly in possession of the slingshot his father received from Amir so long ago, gravely wounds Assef with a bolt to Assef's left eye. Amir and Sohrab escape the house. They flee the country to find that Rahim has died. Sohrab runs away from Amir but is found in front of the biggest Mosque in the world, saying he felt dirty because of what Assef did to him.

Amir takes the traumatized and withdrawn Sohrab back to the US. When General Taheri one night asks why Amir brought "that Hazara boy" back with him, Amir, again standing up to an overbearing figure, informs the General of their familial relationship and demands he never deride Sohrab as Hazara again. Later, Amir shows Sohrab the tricks of kite flying, which he and Hassan used to do in the old days. Slowly Sohrab begins to interact with Amir, who enthusiastically runs the kite, pledging the act to Sohrab.

Trivia

Director Marc Forster mentions in the DVD commentary that in the book the servant boy, Hassan, has a harelip (cleft upper lip), but that was left out of the film because it would have required two hours of makeup every day, it would have been difficult for the boy to act in the makeup, he didn't want to put the boy through it, and it wasn't essential to the script.

Author Khaled Hosseini mentions in the commentary that the name on the door "Dr. Amani" is his homage to his medical school roommate. He mentions in the documentary "Words from the Kite Runner" also on the DVD that he, himself, was a practicing physician for eight and a half years before choosing to concentrate on writing after 'The Kite Runner' book became successful.

Cast

• Khalid Abdalla as Amir
• Zekeria Ebrahimi as Young Amir
• Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada as Young Hassan
• Homayoun Ershadi as Baba/Agha Sahib
• Atossa Leoni as Soraya
• Shaun Toub as Rahim Khan
• Abdul Salaam Yusoufzai as Assef
• Elham Ehsas as Young Assef
• Ali Danish Bakhtyari as Sohrab
• Saïd Taghmaoui as Farid
• Qadir Farookh as General Taheri
• Khaled Hosseini (cameo) as Doctor in the park
• Camilo Cuervo as a Taliban Soldier

The three boys were age 11 and 12 at the time of the filming.

Critical reception

The film received generally positive reviews, earning a 66% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 165 reviews. On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 34 reviews.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times named it the 5th best film of 2007.

Ban

The Afghan government has banned the film from movie theaters and DVD stores because of the rape scene and the ethnic tensions and class struggles that the film highlights.

Criticism

Though the child actors enjoyed making the film, they and their families have expressed worries about their situation now that the film is done. Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada (young Hassan) said regarding one scene "I want to continue making films and be an actor but the rape scene upset me because my friends will watch it and I won't be able to go outside any more. They will think I was raped." The scene has been depicted in a less harrowing manner than originally planned: there is no nudity in it, not even underpants are exposed; an attack is shown, and a sexual aspect is suggested only very briefly at the end of the scene, by a trousers buckle being undone, trousers being tugged slightly down, and unzipping a fly. Even for that a body double was used.

Initially Zekeria Ebrahimi (young Amir) and Ahmad Mahmidzada were paid $17,500 each, and Ali Dinesh $13,700; some argue that they were underpaid. Additionally, Ebrahimi has said "We want to study in the United States. It's a modern country and more safe than here in Kabul. If I became rich here I would be worried about security. It's dangerous to have money because of the kidnapping." Paramount then relocated the three boy actors playing Amir, Hassan, and Sohrab—and another with a minor role playing Omar—each accompanied by a relative, to the United Arab Emirates. Reportedly the studio accepted responsibility for the boys' living expenses until they reach adulthood, a cost some estimated at up to 500,000 dollars. After living four months in Dubai, Ebrahimi and his aunt returned to Kabul in March 2008. After threats to his life, Ebrahimi lives indoors and is home-schooled by an uncle. He says he wishes he had never been in the movie.

Awards and nominations

Nominations

• 65th Golden Globe Awards
  • Best Foreign Language Film
  • Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Alberto Iglesias)
• 80th Academy Awards
  • Best Original Score (Alberto Iglesias)

External links

• Official website
• The Kite Runner at the Internet Movie Database
• The Kite Runner at AllRovi
• The Kite Runner at Box Office Mojo
• The Kite Runner at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Kite Runner at Metacritic
• Discussion of Kite Runner adaptation
• A North Hollywood kite fighter's lofty dream, story of the film's kite master (LA Times)
• Kite Runner flies into controversy