http://www.indy.com/posts/2971 en-us joe.shearer I think people get confused between sensationalism in victimizing children in movies and when it's done with taste and for a purpose. As a consequence, they often have blanket objections to it. I've been one in the recent past to criticize movies for violence against children (in "The Mist" and just this week in "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem."). My objections, though, weren't merely that children were victimized, it's that it either didn't fit the tone of the story or was done for sensationalism. In "The Kite Runner," the rape scene is handled tastefully and is a very important aspect to the story. Obviously children are victimized in real life, and as a society it's important to understand what happens to a child who is victimized (or in the case of this film, how other cultures react to the victimization). If it's the story, or is important to the story, I see nothing wrong with it being in there. Having said that, I'd like to echo Chris in stating that in this film it's all done with all the taste and grace you'd want and expect if it were the true story of your own child's victimization being shown onscreen. Great care is taken in not exploiting the situation or the actors involved and it's almost understated compared to how some films have handled similar situations. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:48:38 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_10477 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_10477 Christopher Lloyd The first rule of good storytelling (in any medium) is "Don't tell, show." Harsh depictions of violence may be difficult to watch, and may even keep some people away, but you'll never get the visceral reaction without showing it. It's like the difference between writing, "Maria Gomez was emotionally devastated when her boyfriend left her" and painstakingly showing her falling down a rabbit hole of despair. The first method merely informs you, while the latter moves you. I'll say this in way of reassurance: the rape scene in "Kite Runner" is handled very obliquely and tastefully. And as Dawn notes, you really can't have the movie without it. Seriously, best film of 2007. Go. See. It. Now. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:37:25 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_10476 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_10476 Dawn I read the book a couple of years ago, so I knew what to expect. Before I ever even sat down in the theater I had mentally prepared myself for that "scene". I, too, hate seeing (even hearing about) children victimized. It was a difficult scene. It made me feel sick to my stomach. But, even so, it wasn't AS bad as the written scene nor was it AS bad as I'd expected it to be. As much as I hate that it happened, I really don't think they could have only mentioned it without taking away from the movie...the story. I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not; if only to justify that scene. Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:25:50 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_9613 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_9613 VivaZoya Hm. I can't quite overcome the young boy being assaulted. I wish it would just be mentioned in the film, instead of acted out - I can't stand movie scenes where children are victimized. It just about kills the whole movie for me. Maybe I'll just read the book. Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:15:23 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_9601 http://www.indy.com/posts/2971#comment_9601