Director: Marc Forster
Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini
Studio: DreamWorks 11797
Video: Anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 widescreen, color
Audio: English, French or Spanish DD 5.1, DD 2.0
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Extras: Commentary track with Marc Forster, Khaled Hosseini and screenwriter David Benioff; Words from The Kite Runner; Images from The Kite Runner; Theatrical trailer
Length: 127 minutes
Rating: *****
This was one of the most moving and touching films of the past year. The original novel about life in Afghanistan was published prior to the Iraq invasion, and thus garnered most interest in its revealing story of the hardships brought upon the country by the Russians, and then the Taliban. The story begins with the friendship of two young boys at opposite ends of the economic spectrum. One shocking act tears them apart and causes lifelong guilt feelings in the more fortunate boy.
Years later that young man, Amir, is living in California but receives a call asking him to embark on a journey back to Afghanistan to rescue the young son of a friend from the Taliban and bring him back to the U.S. The friend, who knows of the earlier wrong, tells him “There is a way to be good again.” Amir redeems himself by going back, disguised with a fake beard, to the ravaged land where even the focus of the young boys – kite-flying – has been banned by the Taliban. Swiss director Forster, who also did Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland, creates a sensitive and humanitarian filmic experience that will stay with the viewer. The Words and Images featurettes are well done and informative.
– John Sunier
