Movie Monthly

“There is a way to be good again”

It’s the phrase that appeared at the front of the movie cover. Instantly I took it out of the shelf and bought it. It’s been a few months back when I first saw the thing in the shape of a novel in granmedia (translated edition). All the thumbs up it received really tick me inside to try and grab one for reading purpose but I hesitated, because the novel is not in her original language. It might hinder all the enthusiasm given for the best- selling novel (personal opinion) without underestimating the translated copy.

Although it took me a week to finally watch it, the film doesn’t disappoint me. Although some interpretation in the film must been biased to others but the message is clear, the story of friendship that lasts for as long… and sometimes even a children could portrayed much complicated action in their course of friendship. It started with Amir remembering his childhood in Kabul after receiving a phone call from his late father’s friend, brought him back to the past. The way those children flying their kites on the clear sky of Kabul, and Hassan (Amir’s friend) run to catch the kite, reminded me the “Children of Heaven” . It has the same aura of the Iranian film but a heavier content inside.

Amir loved to write and Hassan loved to hear him story told. Amir’s the son of the house owner while Hassan the housekeeper’s son. Hassan was ever faithful, always stood for Amir. In the society of Afghanistan before the soviet invasion, there was racial issue that rose between the two ethnic Hazara and Pushtun that still going on until today. Amir betrayed Hassan by letting him to be bullied because he was too afraid to stand for him but Hassan loyalty is unquestionable. It took decades for him to correct the mistakes in the form of Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Taliban was portrayed badly in this film, a cliché of western film maker. But Samy Yusuf “ Supplication”in the final chapter is soothing. Amir return to Kabul for redemption and it ended well for him. Always love a happy ending story. A nice story with some heavy content and childhood memory bound altogether. Although I disagreed with some aspect of the story, but somehow it went well till the end. A memorable ending I would say worth the “chidren of heaven” and the” colour of paradise” as Amir exclaimed the word Hassan used to say before he ran for the kite “for you I would a thousand times over”.

By: Ibnu Taqiyyah