LFF Review: ‘Blitz’
The idea for Blitz was born when acclaimed director Steve McQueen came across an image of a small Black boy from 1940, standing on a train platform with a large suitcase. That image lingered with McQueen in “an almost omnipresent, ghostly way,” leaving him wondering who this child was, but more importantly, what his story was during the Blitz.
Enter George, a young Londoner thrust into the tragedy of World War II as Nazi forces begin to relentlessly bomb his city. Introducing newcomer Elliott Heffernan in his first role, it is through George’s eyes that we experience the horrors of the Blitz and the impact it had on families of all backgrounds.
From its opening sequence, depicting firefighters losing control of a hose in the midst of an out-of-control fire in central London, Blitz sets its tone: one of chaos. There is the physical chaos, with the considerable damage inflicted on the city, but also the emotional chaos endured by its inhabitants, forced to hide and be separated from one another. This includes George and his mother Rita, played by Saoirse Ronan, as the boy is sent away for his own safety. A decision he struggles to understand, which leads him to jump off a train once he realizes he can’t leave Rita without a proper goodbye. Thus begins his quest to return to his mother.
Blitz feels grand, undeniably so. Its scope is impressive, the sets are massive, and the wide shots of a broken London are striking. McQueen, a true cinematic master, creates an environment where danger lurks in every corner, ensuring the audience is constantly aware that nowhere and no one is safe. Beautifully shot by director of photography Yorick Le Saux, the film offers an immersive dive into the Blitzkrieg. One particular long shot of George running away from countless bombs at night stands out.
There is a duality here between the large scale of one of the most tragic events in human history and the intimate portrayal of a family navigating it. Ronan is convincing in her first motherly role, driven by the desire to keep her son safe at all costs. However, we can’t help but wish the script delved deeper into Rita and George’s life together, to heighten the emotional weight of the film. Though we root for them to reunite, the emotional stakes could have been amplified with more substantial flashbacks, allowing us to truly feel the stakes of their impending reunion.
It is halfway through the film, with the unexpected encounter between George and Ife, a Nigerian policeman played by Benjamin Clémentine, that the movie transcends some of its own coldness to offer its most moving moments. Not only does Ife help George come to terms with himself, he also delivers a powerful speech encapsulating the importance of unity in such trying times. Additionally, Clémentine has noted that this film helped him reflect on how he might behave if he and his son were to face such events.
The cast also includes Paul Weller as Rita’s father, in a small but significant role, and Harris Dickinson as the righteous Jack, who is determined to help Rita find her son. Here again, we can’t help but wish the bond between Jack and Rita had been explored further.
Ultimately, it is Elliott Heffernan who leaves the biggest impact on the audience. As our hearts break and heal with George, it is impossible not to be impressed by Heffernan’s performance. To exude such presence on screen at such a young age, especially in a feature film debut, commands respect. He does justice to George’s journey, a journey McQueen himself has emphasized as significant, having regretted that no film about the Blitz had ever been told from a Black protagonist’s perspective. That has now been corrected.
Rating: 3.5/5
Blitz premiered at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.
