It’s fascinating to see an artist continually find new means of exploring the areas they are interested in. Acclaimed filmmaker Steve McQueen has spent his cinematic career examining the plight of those suffering in different ways, using social realism and innovative techniques to look at very human stories, many of which are from a past time. The Black experience, in particular, has been an evident fascination, and for good reason, given how history in that respect goes unexplored beyond some basic understandings. Blitz is interesting for this reason, as it uses the WWII German bombing campaign as a feature, but not the focus. As a result, we instead watch an adventure film of sorts, following a character on a quest to get home, while taking in what kind of limitations come from social standing outside of a traditional film narrative instilling sentimental wartime movie elements.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Rita, a single mother working in a London factory during World War II. Due to the blitzkrieg, she sends her young son, George (Elliot Heffernan), away with the other children in an attempt to keep him safe. Upset by this situation, made only worse by his guilt at refusing to say goodbye to his mom, George hops off the train to make his way back toward London. While he hopes to return to his mother, George encounters one dangerous situation after another during a time when tragic circumstances abound.
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The scope of this film is quite large. While the director of 12 Years a Slave and Widows has had ensemble casts and a variety of locations to deal with in the past, the adventure that George is on allows for a constant shuffling of characters made all the more challenging by the threat of destruction constantly changing up the dynamics of a situation. A two-hour runtime and a less intense PG-13 rating (though there are some gruesome moments) could suggest a minimalization of some deeper characterization in favor of an extreme coming-of-age story. However, McQueen’s efforts to continue to deliver deeply felt stories with much to say about society serve as an interesting counter.
What I quickly locked onto was how much Blitz was indebted to the Black perspective during this time. It also takes some interesting angles in that regard. Rita is not a single mother by choice, as we see in flashbacks. Her decision to mix it up in the Black jazz clubs has already caused upsetting events in her life based on reactions from others. That still results in a mixed-race child, which is rarely overtly commented on, though there’s plenty to infer from how George is treated compared to what others may experience. At the same time, whether it’s Black police officers, various citizens, or a brief but incredible vignette focused on swing-band leader Ken “Snakehips” Johnson, McQueen has made specific choices about how we see events unfold.
I find this important, as the devastation that occurred during the blitzkrieg is clear, but new ways to detail what other layers mattered during this time bring a refreshing quality to make up for a narrative that has an expected direction to it but is no less compelling. Having already delivered Small Axe, for me, one of the most outstanding cinematic achievements of this decade, one could almost ascribe Blitz as a late addition, albeit an entry set well before the time period that anthology series focused on. Regardless, there’s a noteworthy level of importance on display here, as it’s a film that does want to celebrate British history, but it’s not going to avoid some of the uglier aspects of this period either.
This is where balance comes into play. While we watch George on a journey that manages to take on Oliver Twist-like diversions at various points (Stephen Graham appears as a character who may as well be called Not-Fagin at one point), Blitz also shifts back to Rita’s story occasionally. We see her grappling with the guilt of sending her son away while doing her work, and even being prompted to sing on the radio to help with morale. Once made aware of her son’s disappearance, she spends plenty of time actively doing what she can to find him, which includes help from a sympathetic fireman, Jack (Harris Dickinson, wonderfully underplaying his part).
With so many of her own coming-of-age stories, Ronan is now growing into the role of one who can play a mother, even a young one, as seen here. She’s no less effective at putting it all onscreen without overdoing it. With that in mind, McQueen isn’t trying to hide her, as her fair skin and red dress, among other costume choices, purposefully allow her to stand out in her scenes, helping the fable-like quality of this movie be more apparent.
That said, George is the true driver of this feature, and newcomer Heffernan is very effective in what he brings here. One could initially have mixed feelings about how he’s choosing to express himself, but he is just a boy, and the film, of course, needs you to see how a boy as young as this is forced to grow up quickly during an incredibly turbulent time. I only wish some of the final moments resonated a bit more, perhaps sacrificing McQueen’s restrained take on sentimentality. However, with so much physical work required throughout, Heffernan did plenty to hold his own.
From a production standpoint, Blitz may be the most accessible film from McQueen yet, but his artistic style is still present. Numerous sequences recall Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men (along with McQueen’s previous films) when watching chaotic circumstances presented through long takes. Outside of what technical feats are accomplished, however, there’s a real interest in seeing what sequences are being given this treatment, which does a great job of relaying the reality of what these characters are all facing. That may sometimes mean seeing characters placed in one extreme event after another. Still, it once again speaks to the fable-like quality of what’s going on and fulfills what cinema can pull off as a way of offsetting what some may consider plot contrivances. And it’s still director Steve McQueen we are talking about, who isn’t one to go broad in presentation without purpose.
There’s a fitting score by Hans Zimmer present, as the music often swells but is never overbearing. Blitz plays in a manner that hits hard when trying to pull the audience into a city under fire but doesn’t lose focus on what it wants to accomplish with this story. Again, war is a feature that allows for elaborate set pieces and various developments regarding the difficult sides of humanity. Still, the film ultimately focuses on one character’s journey (with terrific support by Ronan). That choice means seeing something acceptable for a wide audience but with a perspective that only enhances a context for that time. Through these choices, as far as the depiction of peril is concerned, Blitz lets McQueen deliver an explosive journey worthy of discovery.
Blitz is now playing in select theaters and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ starting November 22, 2024.
