In the film The Kite Runner, how is the Taliban depicted? Why is this important to a class on terrorism?

In the film adaptation of The Kite Runner, the Taliban are primarily depicted through the character of Assef. This character is seen in the stadium, where people are stoned to death as part of halftime entertainment at a soccer stadium. He also meets with Amir to discuss Sohrab, Hassan's orphan son.
In the stadium scene, the Taliban are seen as brutal and savage. They stone a couple to death for adultery. Their fundamentalist and extremist views are on display here, though the novel The Kite Runner gives us more detail and background on the Taliban and its actions in 2001 Afghanistan.
In the scene between Amir and Assef, the Taliban are depicted as abusing their power for personal desires. Assef keeps Sohrab basically as a slave, and it is also suggested that he sexually abuses the boy. While Assef is depicted in both the novel and film as a sociopath, his attitude toward Hazaras is typical of the Taliban. He keeps Sohrab as a slave because Sohrab is a minority, a Hazara, and a member of the servant class, as his father, Hassan, was. Assef voices his belief, as both a child and as an adult, that "Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtuns" and that Hazaras contaminate the homeland. This again indicates extremist views held by the Taliban.
Ultimately, the depiction of the Taliban can be seen as one take on modern-day terrorism in the sense that we can see how fundamentalist views can lead terrorist groups to oppress or act violently toward others. However, the novel and film The Kite Runner are more about the characters of Amir and Hassan than the Taliban.