There Is a Way to Be Good Again: Examining the Book & Film Versions of "The Kite Runner"

Whenever a book (or movie, or TV show, or play, or musical act) manages to capture the hearts and minds of the popular consciousness, I tend to run screaming in the opposite direction. This is more than likely because I don't really like people all that much (don't worry: you're fine; it's the others I don't care for); therefore, I do not trust their opinions. I mean, come on. Great taste-challenged hoards of people buy Britney Spears CDs, drool over "American Idol", and flock to see Adam Sandler movies. In this perspective, I hope it's easier to see why I refuse to participate in anything the general public makes "popular".

However, there was one book for which I broke my anti-mainstream rule: "The Kite Runner", Khaled Hosseini's wildly successful 2003 novel about two boys growing up in war-torn Afghanistan, and the brutal act of violence that divides them forever. I was drawn to the book for a couple of reasons. One, and I know this is sorta lame, was the cover. The beautifully dark and earthy illustration piqued my curiosity about the story contained between the covers. Another reason I was intrigued was the fact that several people (fellow book-lovers), for whom I have a great deal of respect, recommended the book to me as a great story with exceptional writing. The final, and probably most profound, influence to read it was the subject matter. The entire region of the Middle East has always been a political hotbed of controversy and strife, now more so than ever. I was impressed, and more than a little surprised, that so many people took to this book, since we all know that the American public is easily misled (see: George W. Bush's "war on terror"). I was shocked that the book-buying masses were able to set aside the political propaganda and make a story about the Middle East so massively successful. These reasons, I figured, were strong enough for me to pick up "The Kite Runner".

And I'm so glad I did. I absolutely loved the book. It affected me in ways I never could have imagined, even going so far as to tap into my own buried memories of pain and violence. At one point in the book, I even became physically sick; it's also one of the few books I've read in which I wept openly. That's how much I identified with these characters. They were so completely real, so totally compelling, that I saw the story of these two Afghan boys through the lens of my own experience. It is a great book that can do this.

"The Kite Runner" is the story of Amir and Hassan, childhood friends and constant companions (Hassan is the son of Amir's household servant/right-hand man). After a devastating act of terror, Amir, so guilty that he did not help his friend in his time of distress, turns his back on Hassan. This sets in motion a chain of tragic events that carries the boys through to adulthood, amidst the ever-growing, ever-terrifying societal unrest of Afghanistan. The story is heartbreaking, but in the end there is such a sense of redemption, of forgiveness, that it's nearly impossible not to view this dark tale with anything less than an unshakable sense of hope. Amir's journey to authenticity is one to which many of us can relate, and, sadly, so too is Hassan's brutalization.

Given the acclaim of the book, I wasn't surprised when I heard it was being adapted into a motion picture. Being an eternal fatalist -- and also realizing what Hollywood has done to oh-so-many great novels -- I was skeptical. How, I wondered, could even the greatest filmmaker successfully translate the themes of this psychologically intense and layered book to the panorama of the big screen? And, of course, I immediately imagined them casting the entire thing with white actors running around the desert speaking American English. Yup, I was sure the Hollywoodization of this incredible story would be an utter fiasco.

I was wrong. The film version of "The Kite Runner" is not only (for the most part) fully dedicated to the story of the novel, but it's cast with Middle Eastern actors actually speaking Persian! Director Marc Forester and screenwriter David Benioff breathe eloquent life into Hosseini's emotionally-complex tale. There are no "big name" Hollywood actors, the majority of the film is in subtitles, and the story is often tremendously disturbing. But these are precisely why the film works so well and is on par with the quality of the book on which it is based.

For me, the most impressive aspect of the movie version was the performance of the adorable Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada as young Hassan. In his film debut, this kid is nothing short of masterful. He can convey more with his eyes and cherubic face than most actors can with their entire bodies. He is a revelation. His work here is nuanced, intelligent, and absolutely heartbreaking.

There are many morals to the story of Amir and Hassan, but none so powerful as the line spoken to Amir by Hassan's father: "There is a way to be good again." "The Kite Runner" shows us that even in our bleakest hours there are opportunities for salvation, and that it's never too late to right the wrongs of the past.