The Kite Runner

The music in The Kite Runner works primarily as underscoring to establish the Middle Eastern location and the mood. Typically Middle Eastern music plays during the opening credits and again during the scenes when the children are re flying kites in Afghanistan. This underscoring also helped give a sense of nationalism during the contests. Midway through the film, the mood undergoes a change from childish happiness to sadness as the father and son are forced to leave Afghanistan because the Russian Communists are coming. When in the scenes move to America the music changes out of its Middle Eastern influence and begins to sound more generic. It is peaceful underscoring without alluding to anything great or exciting happening.

When the son returns to Afghanistan the Middle Eastern underscoring returns but it is still melancholy and it not nearly as energetic as when he was a child. When in the marketplace and the son is looking for his nephew there is music and sound coming from all of the activity and the chaos reflects what is in his mind while he is frantic looking for the boy. Finally, back in America the more generic music returns with a happy tone. When the boy Sohrab flies the kite in the closing scenes the underscoring perks up and indicates a hopeful future.