The Kite Runner, a novel written by Khaled Hosseini became an international bestseller. The book is divided into three parts, the main character Amir’s childhood, Amir’s life as an adult and the journey back to Afghanistan to save the son of Hassan. The Kite Runner has been published in over 40 countries, and in 2007 it was adapted into a movie.
I am going to write about the conflict between Amir and Hassan, and how it compared in the movie and the book.
In the book, it says;
“I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it. I waited another thirty minutes. Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies.”
The entire situation starts at the kite competition, when Amir wins the local tournament. He manages to cut the line of the last kite, and Hassan runs to find it for him. Hassan always finds the kites, and this time it lands in an alley. After a while, Amir starts wondering where Hassan is. He looks for him in the streets, and can finally hear some well-known voices. It’s Hassan, but also Assef and his gang, a group of boys who dislike Amir and Hassan. Because he is afraid, Amir decides to hide behind a wall of stone, close enough to see everything that is happening. Assef and his boys demand Hassan to give them the kite. He refuses because it is for Amir, and they decide to punish him. It ends with the boys raping Hassan, while Amir is watching. He is too afraid to do anything, and returns home full of shame.
This episode destroys Amir and Hassan’s friendship. They don’t spend time together as they used to. Hassan goes to bed after he has done his chores, and Amir stays out of his way. Amir doesn’t tell his father, Baba about the episode because of the fear of his reactions. He can’t handle having Hassan and his father as their servants any longer, and therefore decides to place the watch under Hassan’s mattress. Baba confronts Hassan with the episode, and Hassan says he did it even though it was a lie. Baba forgives him, but Ali feels ashamed. Ali and Hassan decide to leave, and Ali never sees Hassan again.
The conflict between Amir and Hassan is quite similar in the film compared to the book. Still, the book made a greater impression on me. Khaled Hosseini describes the rape of Hassan and the consequences of Amir’s actions, in a brutal but also apprehending way. The film doesn’t give me the same feelings I get while reading the book.
The film got a lot of positive reviews, but it’s nothing compared to the book. The Kite Runner is a book worth reading. It is an unforgettable story about friendship, betrayal and price of loyalty described in an interesting and apprehending way.
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Yes it is a very important part of both the film and the book. It is difficult to describe all these feelings in a movie, I think they do a pretty good job considering. The book is great, everyone should read it no doubt!
SvarSlett