This movie is a based on the book, but it has a lot of deviations. It is about people from Afghanistan. It takes place in Afghanistan, Pakistan and America. The movie starts out in 1978, when Afghanistan has not been at war with Russia yet. It shows Afghanistan pre-war, and pre-taliban. There was still a lot of political strife though.
The movie was mainly about a young boy named Amir, and his friend Hassan. The beginning of the movie is mostly in Farsi, and you have to read the sub titles to understand what is happening. The dialogue in this movie is really genius, so even though the sub title thing can be annoying, it's worth reading.
You start out seeing the both of them playing together and acting like very good friends. It isn't until later I find out that Hassan is actually a servant in Amir's house. The neighborhood bullies tease Amir and Hassan. They say, if I have a friend, and I pay them to be my friend, is he my friend, or my servant? He is my servant. They said to Amir, "I guess you have no friends." The neighborhood bullies also don't seem to like Amir's father because of his political views. They seem to want to get violent with the boys.
In a scene you hear Amir's father complaining about his son. Saying how much of a coward Amir is, and how he doesn't stand up to bullies, but Hassan has to step up and defend both of them. He says that a boy that does not stand up for himself, will turn into a man that does not stand up for anything. Amir overhears this, and thinks his father does not like him. Amir says that he thinks his father hates him because he killed his mother. His mother died giving birth to Amir. An older friend, who is a friend of the family, says that this is not true, that life is dangerous, being born, and giving birth. He goes on to say your father would do anything for you.
Amir's father won a kite flying contest as a kid, and is very proud of that. Amir enters into a kite flying contest to gain the approval of his father. He actually wins the contest, and is really excited. After the competition, Amir's friend Hassan runs off alone to find the kite for Amir.
Off alone, Hassan runs into the neighborhood bullies. They say that they will leave him alone if he gives him the kite. Hassan refuses, saying it's Amir's kite, and I can't give it away. The bullies beat Hassan and rape him. Amir is actually hiding off in the distance, and witnesses the whole thing. He runs off when they start to rape Hassan. He does nothing to help his friend. Back home, things get very awkward between Amir and Hassan. Amir does not want anything to do with his friend anymore, and seems to be too embarrassed to be near him. Hassan sleeps a lot, and seems depressed.
In an attempt to get rid of Hassan, Amir frames him of stealing his watch. Hassan admits to stealing the watch even though he didn't. Hassan and his father say they are leaving, because it is too unbearable here. Amir's father asks, "Why, I forgave you for stealing?" He doesn't understand why his servants are leaving. Amir's father looks confused as to why, and forbids them to leave. The servants say, "We don't work for you anymore, you can't forbid us anything."
In the next year, Amir and his father escape to America to get away from the Russian invasion. Amir's father was too outspoken against the Russians, and he thought that would get him into a lot of trouble. In the next scene, Amir is no longer a young boy in Afghanistan, but an Americanized young adult who just graduated from college. He turns out very nice looking. His father gets sick with cancer. And he refuses treatment, preferring to die at home. Amir takes an interest in a young Afghan woman. According to their tradition, Amir's father has to ask the women's father if he will let them marry. Amir asks his father to ask her father for permission. Amir's father, though sick, goes to the young woman's house to ask her father if his daughter can marry his son. He agrees, and his son gets married. They make a very cute couple.
When things start to seem calm and happy, Amir gets a call from an old friend from Afghanistan who is very sick. He is living in Pakistan now. Amir, who is now a writer, has to cancel his book tour to visit his friend. Amir finds out from his friend in Pakistan, that his childhood friend Hassan was killed by the Taliban, and that his son is now an orphan. Amir reads a letter that Hassan wrote him. The letter was very touching. It spoke of how bad things got in Afghanistan, how peace has left the land, and killing is everywhere. Hassan speaks of a hope for a better day again, when peace is restored. A time when things will be nicer like before.
Amir travels to the dangerous country of Afghanistan to find Hassan's orphan son. He goes to an orphanage, only to find out the orphanage gave Hassan's son to the Taliban. Amir takes the risk, and goes to the Taliban to find the son. He finds out that the son is used as a sex slave by the Taliban. They have him dress fancy, and dance for them. The boy and Amir fight this one Taliban guy, who was actually one of the bullies that raped Hassan, the boy's father. They escape, and go to Pakistan. Then they go to America. The final scene is Amir and Hassan's boy...which is actually Amir's nephew, flying kites together. (Long story as to why Amir and Hassan's son are related. The short version entails Amir's father messing around with the servant's wife.)
I was really touched by the contrasts in the movie. Pre-war Afghanistan vs. the terrible and scary Taliban-Afghanistan. The coward young Amir vs. the brave adult Amir. Hassan's letter really sums it up. His letter made be start to tear up. It talks about the lost prosperity, dreams, and beauty. And the hope of it's return. The movie really hit home the tragedy of the country. I can sense a great loss.
Part of Hassan's letter really demonstrates the loss that can be felt:
I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with bloodred grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty. Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.
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