The Kite Runner

With adaptations of novels there's always that question of what the film would have been like watching if you would have first read the novel instead. Having not read The Kite Runner before seeing the film by director Marc Forster, the story with its many twists had me surprised and very emotional. However, in relation to other adaptations, of which Atonement is a great example, The Kite Runner feels to give away that it's based on a novel. The film is very straight forward. It isn't a cinema piece. The film is very much centered on its story which has clearly become the film's main focus. This can be applauded, stating that this finally is a film again which makes telling a solid and engaging story its main aim, but also detested, making no full use of film as a grand visual medium. The Kite Runner hardly is of any interest when it comes to cinematography. There's not especially great camera movement or photography providing for breathtaking images. The entire film seems to be covered in the same kind of style that is used consistently throughout. In this way the film is boring. Still because of the powerful story it's a film that can be very much enjoyed, but one which will likely be experienced in a complete different way when you have read the book before and thus know the story and all its twist. An adaptation then has to offer much more and comes to rely on different things than just its narrative. I, thus, very much enjoyed the film, but also kept in mind and realized that in a filmic way The Kite Runner is nothing special and not that interesting. What mostly stands out are some of the acting performances. The boy playing Hassan is more than just a sweet face. He plays his role very well as is Khalid Abdalla playing the older Amir, giving a surprising performance of subtetly. He makes of Amir an intelligent young man, very recognizable and real, with much heart. The Kite Runner thus still has nice things to offer and is a solid film. It's just that it could have been made much more interesting if it had taken some risks or paid more attention to visuality. Now the film's story stand out too much, so that you can say that you could better just read the book and fill in its colours with your own imagination instead of presenting it in this way, which feels to be nothing more than a story with moving pictures.