Based on the Khaled Hosseini novel, "The Kite Runner" is a dark tale of gnawing lament and an all-consuming yearning to atone for lifelong shortcomings. Set in the backdrop of a rapidly changing Afghanistan spanning from before the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s to Taliban rule in 2000, the narrative admirably steers clear of political pontificating in favor of focusing on a human story.

The drama tracks the tale of Amir (Khalid Abdalla), an Afghan writer who as a boy flees with his father to America, only to return home as an adult to face his past. The heart of the film takes place in 1978, when the young Amir is played by Zekeria Ebrahimi, who is more expressive and endearing than his adult counterpart.

Afghanistan is a land of relative peace and prosperity, and Amir and his best friend, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada), spend their days flying kites.

The boys nurture a complex relationship. Although they are wholly devoted to each other, with Amir reading the illiterate Hassan stories and Hassan fearlessly acting as his passive pal's bodyguard, there is an imbalance in the friendship due to social status and ethnicity.

Hassan is the son of Amir's father's servant, and thus feels inferior, an impression deepened by classmates, who chastise Hassan because he is Hazara, an oppressed ethnic group. Thus, Hassan feels overly grateful that Amir lets him remain in his presence, and the reverence gets to Amir's head to the point where he sees nothing wrong with exploiting his obedient pal. Amir's indiscretions, in particular, are a counterpoint to advice from his father, who teaches him that all grave sins are a variation of thievery.

This leads to a shuddering tragedy involving bullies, with both boys making questionable decisions based on their warped mind-sets that separate them for the rest of their lives.

The second part of the film takes place in 2000, when Amir — married with a bustling career in America — is called by duty and honor to return to Afghanistan and revisit the ghosts of the past. He is devastated to sees his idyllic homeland ravaged by religious zealots who are so cruel they even banned the flying of kites.

Shooting mostly in China, director Marc Forster ("Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland") weaves together his heavy themes of enduring faith, shattered trust and man's ability to overcome past shortcomings together with an unyielding sense of urgency.

"The Kite Runner" carries an uncomfortable epilogue. The film was delayed for several weeks so the film's young actors and their families could move from Afghanistan to avoid persecution because of the film's themes and sexually violent content. Like Amir, these children may realize that home will never again exist.