Blitz is a harrowing cinematic adventure that follows a child and mom battle to find each other and reunite while all hell breaks loose during the war.
The amount of WWII films that exist are endless. It’s a popular genre that shows no signs of slowing down especially when it’s as relevant as ever and continues to affect people today. But how many of those films focused on the Blitz? How many explored war films through a person of colour? How many focus on a child? Very few in fact. It wouldn’t surprise me if you said you can’t recall seeing any. That’s where British Auteur Steve McQueen steps in. He decides to do them all at once by delivering his most ambitious project yet.
Blitz is a historical epic and family drama as coined by McQueen where we are thrown right into 1940s London during the middle of the most horrifying nights in modern history. Elliot Heffernan plays a child called George who lives with his mom Rita (Saoirse Ronan) during the backdrop of Blitzkrieg. With the underground stations seemingly the only safe place for people to take refuge as the bombings continue to decimate London. Rita is faced with an extraordinary challenge that forces her to think only of her son, even if she has to pay the price with her own life. We see her choose to take George away from London alongside fellow children to perhaps improve his chances of survival.
After blurting words of hate to his mom for leaving him and refusing to say goodbye during a tragic moment of departure, where Rita desperately tries to get her son to acknowledge her love but the train window blocks that possibility, leaving us with echoes of her cries and screams in the distance. This is when you realise what kind of film this really is. Rita let George go for his own safety, he knows that and understands why she chose to yet he still robs her of closure. That sets the tone for the rest of the film as we yearn for the reunion of a broken family jaded from the hellish scape of war.
Children of War
The twist is that instead of George choosing to stay on board, he jumps off the train and decides to find his way back home. Leading him to a catastrophic and tumultuous journey where he realises how cruel and unforgiving the world truly is. Rita only learns later by the authorities that his son is missing. So she searches in what seems like a pointless endeavour. But when has that ever stopped a mother looking for her children. Rita knows the minute she sees him again she will never let her go.
Flashes of dandelion in black and white. Scattered reflections of the sea and the bomber planes that hover immediately tell you what to expect from this film. The title cards and disclaimer notes give the biggest impression. A real story where a child is at the forefront. Where children are close to if not the majority of civilians affected during this period. No matter how small or young you are, war still finds ways to enter your lives and prevent escape.
War stories at times often choose to show only one side of the picture. War was never the only reality people lived everyday. Many still went on with their lives despite the endless bloodshed. People coped by pretending to ignore what is going on outside their homes. Forget what’s happening by burying their head in the sand. During war you are never able to rest, only distract.
The dance sequences at the club or Rita and George playing together or George and Efe singing along gave brief but needed moments of levity and warmth. Contrasting the cold horrors of war captured through the eyes of a child. A painful watch but an accurate reflection of the many shades that give people colour and depth. We all react to trauma and fear differently so McQueen diligently keeps that in mind. Perhaps why this film manages to impact harder than it might have been.
As always, Saoirse Ronan continues to be a powerhouse performer. While she may be taking on a supporting role this time, her impact on the film and her ability to evoke emotions from the audience remain as potent as it has ever been. Playing a complex mother for the first time. A troubled woman dealing with the war while overlooked. McQueen brilliantly portrays this fact and starkly reminds us that soldiers at war weren’t the only ones who fought for their lives, futures and freedoms.
Nor were they the only ones who suffered tremendous loss. Rita at odds with herself as a woman that has the talents of a singer destined for greatness and her responsibility as a mother to protect her son from the horrors of war. Letting him go to a potential safe haven was the hardest choice she ever made. Though George may not seem to understand that, she knows he will return back to her. Mothers easily forgive their children and that is no different here. It’s perhaps one of their greatest qualities as humans that often get taken for granted.
Saoirse having many sequences of dancing and especially singing was revelatory. Saoirse graces the screen with her beautiful, heart warming voice that softens the soul. It’s no surprise she wants to do a musical, she clearly has the talents and knack for it. But another revelation about this film surely has to be Elliot’s performance. For your debut film to be a leading role in a WW2 drama…the young lad has a bright future ahead. A true star in the making with his tremendous performance. Convincingly portraying a child conflicted with the loss of his family’s presence and the desire to survive war at all costs to come back home. George’s story is filled with bravery, terror and McQueen does not shy away from what the eyes can see.
Dead bodies scattered across the floor, houses burning, horses running and bombs exploding. The eye sees all and the child’s innocence nears its destruction. But George’s story does not end there as his perseverance and love for his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller) shine through amidst all the chaos. And we can perhaps thank Ife (Benjamin Clémentine) giving him this moral boost and push to run back to his family as his life support. Though I wish Benjamin had a bigger role since Ife was such a fascinating figure. I understand with this being George’s tale and it goes to show how impressionable people can be to children, even for a brief moment.
The true horror of Blitz is this story is one of many untold. Steve McQueen didn’t intend on applying it to the current climate of our world’s affairs but it’s hard to deny that war is a cycle of hatred and persecution that continues to invade peoples lives no matter the time period. Children across the world still remain at risk and if this film acknowledges something that often gets overlooked, it’s that the importance of children in our lives cannot be understated. Protecting the youth is to shield the innocence from evil. We were all once children after all. If we don’t fight for their future who will?
Blitz is in select theatres from 1st November, and streaming release on Apple TV+ from 22nd November
