Film Critique Paper Example: The Kite Runner

In life, it is important to realize the fact that life sometimes happens in ways that are not pleasing to people. Not everyone that one meets in life will be there to protect us when need be and sometimes ones selfishness may come before another persons needs. This is well reflected in the film The Kite Runner of the year 2007. From the film, one is able to depict various themes and it is important to note that the various actions that occur in the course of the film have a way of connecting with the themes identified. The film clearly brings about the fact that the occurrence of violence can bring a strain a loving relationship and may also bring about love.

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From the above statements, it is clear that the two themes that the film brings out are violence and love. The actions of people in the film bring out the two themes as well as the connection that exists between these two themes. It is well known that violence and love are two sides of a coin and when there exists violence, love cannot exist as well. The film clearly brings out this fact. It is key to note the fact that the relationships in the film are depicted as the strain from the word go. The first relationship whose love is not what it should be is that Amir and his father, Baba. Amir is depicted as a son who really loves the father but who always feels like the father does not seem to reciprocate his love. The father seems to really love Hassan, Amirs friend and son to their servant.

The love that exists between Amir and Hassan is also strained. It is clear that Hassan really loves and cares for Amir and has his best interests at heart. However, Amirs love for Hassan is selfish and is only based on the fact that he wants to get approval from his father. This is depicted in the fact that Hassan being the best kite runner helps Amir and ensure that he gets to win. He even defends Amir when Assef, who is an older boy and a bully wants to attack him with brass knuckles.

However, the selfishness in Amirs love is depicted when disaster strikes in Hassans life and at the point where he needs Amir the most. Instead of helping Hassan, Amir is seen to think of his fathers approval first and even comes up with a way of trying to get rid of Hassan. The other love represented in the film is a romantic love that exists between Amir and Soraya. Soraya is a fellow refugee who meets with Amir and they get married and are in a happy married. Sorrow strikes their home when they learn that they are unable to have children.

These forms of love represented in the film are connected in one way or another to the violence that occurs in the film. Violence is a theme that is seen in the entire film. Violence is seen in various activities. The first being kite running. As much as kite running is an activity that is done by young boys, it is still a violent activity because it is some form of battle that exists. It is also violent because the boys that are involved in the activity end up injuring their hands in the process of their participation. This, therefore, brings out the fact that Afghanistan is one place where joy exists but pain also exists.

The event that exhibits the highest form of violence and that has a major impact on the love that exists in the film is the rape of Hassan. As indicated above, Hassan had defended Amir from Assef who wanted to attack him. However, Assef being the bully that he is had promised to revenge this. The revenge that he promised came in the form of the violent act that he committed against Hassan. Hassan is always helping Amir and he helps him in kite fighting. This is to help Amir be able to win the approval of his father. On the day of the violent act, Amir had won the kite fighting tournament that is held in their local area. When the last kite was cut, Hassan had run to go and catch it for Amir saying, For you, a thousand times over. This clearly shows how much Hassan loved Amir (Ebert, 2007).

However, in the process, Assef attacks Hassan in an alleyway, beats him and then rapes him. Amir witnesses the act and instead of stopping it or even reporting it, he chooses to keep quiet and not tell anyone about it. He does all this so not to lose his fathers praises and approval. Coming to the realization that he has betrayed his friend, Amir decides to find a way to get rid of Hassan as a way of trying to ease his conscience. He does this by trying to depict Hassan as a thief by planting a watch as well as some money under the mattress used by Hassan. This is the highest form of betrayal and selfishness that is depicted. Especially by virtue that Hassan could anything for Amir and he pays him back by setting him up.

The violence that occurs in their country, Afghanistan also has an impact on the love that is depicted in the film. In the year 1979, Amir and Baba, his father had to leave for Pakistan and then California. It is because of this violence that he is able to meet Soraya and her family. It is from meeting that he loves her and a romantic love is able to get created. From this, the film depicts the famous saying that sometimes when life gives you lemons, then it is wise to make lemonade out of the lemons. Violence is not a good situation, however, out of it came the wife that Amir married. It is the violence that prompted them to leave Afghanistan and therefore made it possible for him to get a wife.

From the analysis above, it is clear that there is a connection between the theme of violence and that of love in the film The Kite Runner. The critique brings out the fact that violence brought about both a strain in the relationship of Amir and Hassan by making Amir feel guilty and setting up Hassan. However, it also created love in some way. This was by prompting Amir and Baba to move from Afghanistan and then was able to meet Soraya who he ended up marrying. Therefore, it is clear that violence contributed to both the creation of love and the destruction of love and bringing of guilt.

References

Ebert R. (2007). The Kite Runner. Retrieved from

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-kite-runner-2007. Accessed on February 16, 2017