MOVIE PLAY SNAPSHOTS
MOVIE DETAILS
| Directed by | Marc Forster |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Walter Parkes Laurie McDonald Sam Mendes Sidney Kimmel |
| Written by | Novel: Khaled Hosseini Screenplay: David Benioff |
| 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 |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures Paramount Vantage |
| Release date(s) | United States: December 14, 2007 United Kingdom: December 26, 2007 Australia: January 17, 2008 |
| Running time | 128 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Dari Persian |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Gross revenue | $73,276,047 |
MOVIE REVIEW
In Kabul, prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, well-to-do young boy Amir and his loyal young Hazara servant Hassan are best of friends. Amir enjoys writing and literature, reading stories to the eager but illiterate Hassan. Amir's Baba (father), is contemptuous of Amir's writing and privately regards him as a weakling for letting Hassan protect him from bullies. Baba's friend Rahim Khan demonstrates interest and encouragement to Amir. Assef, a bully with rancor towards Hazaras, and two accomplices confront Hassan and Amir, but Hassan prevents the attack with a slingshot, a birthday gift from Amir. Assef swears revenge, ridiculing their relationship as mere master and servant.
Amir and Hassan triumph at the popular annual Kabul kite fighting day. Hassan, a gifted "kite runner" who can predict where a downed kite will land, fetches the final kite Amir has cut as a trophy, but is cornered by Assef and his gang. When Hassan refuses to hand over the kite, Assef beats and rapes him. Amir witnesses the scene from hiding and not intervening. Amir and Hassan do not acknowledge what happened and Baba, a former kite fighting champion, proudly displays the trophy kite, compounding Amir's shame and resentment. Amir and Hassan both become despondent. Amir fearing further loss of Baba's respect, sets out to rid himself of Hassan, eventually framing him as a thief to which Hassan faithfully and falsely confesses. Baba forgives Hassan, extraordinary in light of the fact of an earlier declaration that "there is no act more wretched than stealing". However, Ali - Baba's servant and the father of Hassan - insists he and Hassan must depart, ignoring Baba's pleas.
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 bravely 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 humble refugees in Fremont, 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 proud traditional Pashtun, is contemptuous. Baba is stricken mortally ill but manages to obtain General Taheri's permission for Amir to marry Soraya. Although Soraya feels bound to confess her previous relationships, they are happily married despite an inability to conceive children. As foreshadowed in the movie's first scene, Amir's debut novel is published, dedicated to Rahim Khan who encouraged his writing.
Rahim Khan soon contacts Amir to hurry to Pakistan, indicating "there is a way to be good again". Amir arrives to learn that Hassan eventually became caretaker of Baba's house, but the Taliban executed him and his wife for loyally refusing to abandon the property. Rahim further reveals that Hassan was in fact Amir's half-brother, son of Baba and the sterile Ali's wife. Amir, angered for being deceived so long, reads a heart-wrenching humble letter from Hassan decrying what happened to Afghanistan and asking Amir to one day return. Rahim Khan now reveals he wishes Amir to retrieve Hassan's now orphaned son, Sohrab. Amir, overcoming fearful reluctance, arrives in Taliban-controlled Kabul complete with fake beard. Amir's driver, Farid, helps him observe the subjugated life under the cruel and ruthless Taliban.
Tracing Sohrab to an orphanage, they learn that a powerful Taliban official who regularly demands children for nefarious purposes (in return for much needed donations) has recently taken Sohrab. Reluctantly Amir accompanies Farid to a football match, witnessing a half time stoning of accused adulterers, in order to see this official. 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, a numbed Sohrab is presented as Assef's dance boy.
Amir finally stands up to Assef, demanding Sohrab be released to him. Assef agrees but brutally beats Amir. Witnessing this, Sohrab, secretly in possession of the slingshot his father received from Amir so long ago, gravely wounds Assef. Amir and Sohrab daringly escape the house under heavy fire. They flee the country to find that Rahim has died. Sohrab runs away but returns, 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. Slowly Sohrab begins to interact with Amir, who enthusiastically runs the kite, pledging to Sohrab with the phrase that Hassan offered to Amir so long ago: "For you, a thousand times over."
Amir and Hassan triumph at the popular annual Kabul kite fighting day. Hassan, a gifted "kite runner" who can predict where a downed kite will land, fetches the final kite Amir has cut as a trophy, but is cornered by Assef and his gang. When Hassan refuses to hand over the kite, Assef beats and rapes him. Amir witnesses the scene from hiding and not intervening. Amir and Hassan do not acknowledge what happened and Baba, a former kite fighting champion, proudly displays the trophy kite, compounding Amir's shame and resentment. Amir and Hassan both become despondent. Amir fearing further loss of Baba's respect, sets out to rid himself of Hassan, eventually framing him as a thief to which Hassan faithfully and falsely confesses. Baba forgives Hassan, extraordinary in light of the fact of an earlier declaration that "there is no act more wretched than stealing". However, Ali - Baba's servant and the father of Hassan - insists he and Hassan must depart, ignoring Baba's pleas.
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 bravely 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 humble refugees in Fremont, 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 proud traditional Pashtun, is contemptuous. Baba is stricken mortally ill but manages to obtain General Taheri's permission for Amir to marry Soraya. Although Soraya feels bound to confess her previous relationships, they are happily married despite an inability to conceive children. As foreshadowed in the movie's first scene, Amir's debut novel is published, dedicated to Rahim Khan who encouraged his writing.
Rahim Khan soon contacts Amir to hurry to Pakistan, indicating "there is a way to be good again". Amir arrives to learn that Hassan eventually became caretaker of Baba's house, but the Taliban executed him and his wife for loyally refusing to abandon the property. Rahim further reveals that Hassan was in fact Amir's half-brother, son of Baba and the sterile Ali's wife. Amir, angered for being deceived so long, reads a heart-wrenching humble letter from Hassan decrying what happened to Afghanistan and asking Amir to one day return. Rahim Khan now reveals he wishes Amir to retrieve Hassan's now orphaned son, Sohrab. Amir, overcoming fearful reluctance, arrives in Taliban-controlled Kabul complete with fake beard. Amir's driver, Farid, helps him observe the subjugated life under the cruel and ruthless Taliban.
Tracing Sohrab to an orphanage, they learn that a powerful Taliban official who regularly demands children for nefarious purposes (in return for much needed donations) has recently taken Sohrab. Reluctantly Amir accompanies Farid to a football match, witnessing a half time stoning of accused adulterers, in order to see this official. 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, a numbed Sohrab is presented as Assef's dance boy.
Amir finally stands up to Assef, demanding Sohrab be released to him. Assef agrees but brutally beats Amir. Witnessing this, Sohrab, secretly in possession of the slingshot his father received from Amir so long ago, gravely wounds Assef. Amir and Sohrab daringly escape the house under heavy fire. They flee the country to find that Rahim has died. Sohrab runs away but returns, 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. Slowly Sohrab begins to interact with Amir, who enthusiastically runs the kite, pledging to Sohrab with the phrase that Hassan offered to Amir so long ago: "For you, a thousand times over."
No comments:
Post a Comment
About Post.