The Kite Runner

So last weekend I saw the Kite Runner on TV on Demand. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. (Although I wondered why the kite strings wouldn't just tangle up, but I don't know much about kite flying.) The movie and story combines the timeline of the present and past very well. You could see how the young Amir grows to be the older Amir. The story is about redemption for Amir for something he did (and didn't do) over twenty years earlier. You can see the deep seated guilt the older Amir has for the events that happened before he fled the country with his father. You can see that he still carried it even though he was young at the time. As Rahim Khan says this is Amir's chance to become good again. The story mostly centers on Amir and his friend Hassan, who along with his father is Amir's family servants. Hassan is "the best kite runner in Kabul" because he always know where the kite will land after it is cut. He is also fiercely loyal to Amir and defends him at every turn. Hassan is also a different race from Amir which causes conflict among other boys, beside the fact that his servant is also his best friend.

The changes in time also allow you to see the contrast between life before and after the Soviet invasion. Kabul late in the film seems dead and dangerous as opposed the Kabul earlier in the film with its streets full of people. Similarly, Amir and his father, who appear quite wealthy in Kabul, later appear to be struggling to making it when they are shown in the US.

The film also gives you a peak at the cultural norms. Family, respect, and perception seem to be very important to many of the main characters. The perception aspect seem especially strong at the end of the film.

The Kite Runner has a great story and plot. The movie is rich with situations that allow characters to grow, symbolic importance, and redemption.