How important could a small scar be to a novel? In The Kite Runner movie directed by Marc Forster, the absence of the harelip scar on Hassan takes away a significant piece of the story for the audience that have not read the novel by Khaled Hosseini. The elimination of this small detail removes subtle hints that Baba is Hassan’s father. This omission, along with the impact of the poor acting in that scene, diminishes the parallels that can be drawn between Amir and Hassan and affects Amir’s redemption arc. The fact that the scar was left out leaves holes in the plot. This detail is important, and many viewers of the movie adaptation will miss important plot points.
The first aspect of the missing scar that affects the story for the viewers
…show more content…
As a matter of fact, the excerpt that discusses the scar is brief but powerful. The doctor says, “The impact had cut your upper lip in two, clean down the middle” (Hosseini 311). As a result, this does not allow the viewers understand the full extent as to which Amir gets his redemption. In continuation, understanding is hindered due to the fact, the redemption Amir gets comes through “becoming” Hassan. Now he finally understands what it was like to be Hassan and sacrifice to give the people you love what they want. Furthermore it happens that his appearance also mirrors his character growth. Amir begins to embody the morals that he had once seen within Hassan. Therefore, the movie viewers do not get to see the subtle events that help you understand that Amir has given up part of his past, and the guilt that comes along with it. As a result, Amir does not get his full redemption arc in the movie because of the lack of the scar.
In summary, the absence of the lip scar in the movie adaptation of The Kite Runner takes away much of the understanding of the characters and major themes within the novel. The scar is one of the keys to understanding Amir’s emotional transformation, and the journey he takes throughout the story to let go of his past. The scar affects the development of the parallels between Amir and Hassan, Amir