Anthropology (movie) - Essay Example

m, it is submitted that Marc Forster’s approach clearly mirrors Ebert’s review of the film by providing an engaging narrative with the overriding purposes to provide a socio-political commentary on the instability in Afghanistan through the presentation of complex cultural norms. Moreover, the film’s visual portrayal of Hosseini’s secular narrative in the book is precisely what resonates with the audience in the superimposition of “human faces and a historical context on the tragic images of war from Afghanistan” (Ebert, 2009:373).

Ebert’s review of the film suggests a visual emphasis on presenting Afghan culture outside the presumptions of the war torn state (2009). This is supported by the scenes of the boys flying kites as a precursor to the loss of innocence, the burden of living with guilt and the need for redemption as symbolised through Amir’s character development after his betrayal of Hassan. As such, the cinematic portrayal of the relationship between Hassan and Amir with other boys in the kite flying season presents a novel perception of Afghanistan and Afghani culture prior to the “Taliban, the Americans and the anarchy” (Ebert, 2009:373).

The film clearly presents this part of Afghan culture by using special effects to visually emphasise the freedom and importance of family bonding in kite flying. Additionally, Ebert suggests that the film presents the freedom and exhilaration of kites to their owners, which is utilised by Forster to underline the cultural and class divide between Amir as the kite flyer and Hassan as the kite runner. To this end, Ebert suggests that “perhaps that sad wisdom in Hassan’s eyes comes from his certainty that all must fall to Earth, sooner or later” (Ebert 2009:374).

In watching the film, the vulnerability of the actor playing Hassan reinforces the precarious nature of his societal position as a Hazara in Afghanistan, which leaves him powerless in the shocking rape scene and its aftermath.