Blitz (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Follow the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II.

My Take – While we have seen multiple narratives about the sufferings and repercussions of WWII, in both epic and small scale, for his latest, filmmaker Steve McQueen (Widows, Shame) continues to demonstrate his talents by heading back to a war-torn London, and sets his narrative during the Blitz, the German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, which ran from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941.

The result is a somewhat disarming film that is handsomely made, well-managed, and ticks off all genre boxes even as it uncovers racism during the period. Working well enough as a unashamedly old-fashioned wartime adventure that is both heartfelt and rousing, this one is director McQueen’s most accessible film to date, mixing epic sweep with textured detail.

Yes, there are certain scenes, especially in the beginning which are uncomfortably long and could easily have been cut down by half and achieved the same affect. Nevertheless, the Apple Original ends up being a generally enthralling story well told with excellent characters and production.

Set in 1940 during the German Blitz of London, the story follows George (Elliott Heffernan), a nine-year-old biracial boy, who lives a decent life with his young single mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), a munitions-factory worker with a talent for singing, and his maternal musician grandfather, Gerald (Paul Weller). However, with the bombing intensifying with each passing day, fearing his safety, Rita decides to send George together with a group of children on a train to the safer countryside.

Even though, George is resistant, partly because of the racism he has faced in the past. With a sudden determination to get back to his family, he escapes from the train about an hour out of London and embarks on a challenging journey back home.

What follows is a spectacular adventures over the next several days that includes train-top shenanigans, a run-in with a gang of broadly drawn Dickensian looters (Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke), and an enthralling sequence in a flooded Underground station. A flashback to around 1930 briefly introduces George’s father, Marcus (CJ Beckford). Right from the start, director McQueen throws you into the deep end.

The first scene sees houses going up in flames and firefighters trying to do what they can. One of them even gets hurt, as the others continue fighting against a wall of fire and noise. The camera is right in the middle of the chaos, capturing it in raw and sometimes unfocused images, and you can almost feel the heat of the flames.

Here, director McQueen switches regularly between George’s adventures and Rita’s desperate search efforts. In both simultaneous stories, the blitz is shown in all its horrors.

The bombed streets, the constant fear, the shelters in the underground stations, the women working in the ammunition factories, the live BBC broadcasts to keep the spirits high. The screenplay even adds an extra layer by showcasing racism in the British society, which at that time was convinced of its own superiority.

Most surprisingly, George undergoes a voyage of self-discovery concerning his ancestry. Particularly through his meeting with Ife (Benjamin Clementine), a Nigerian air-raid warden, as he was looking through a posh arcade looking at dioramas of colonial atrocities demonizing Africans as savages. Though George has consistently experienced racist taunts, but under Ife’s gentle tutelage he movingly begins to find pride in his heritage. Meanwhile, Rita finds herself struggling to find a purpose without her son and volunteers at a community shelter for the displaced.

As with director McQueen’s other films, music plays a big part throughout. It creates poignant moments of family intimacy, as when Rita, George and his grandfather sing together. It provides a source of national comfort as Rita performs in a BBC broadcast from her factory, delivering an outlet for joy in the darkest circumstances.

Yes, it’s not as memorable as it could have been, mainly due to its pacing, and does make you wonder about the liberties taken with what is realistic and plausible. But I guess, that isn’t the film director McQueen wanted to make.

Performance wise, Saoirse Ronan brings yet another impactful turn with her beautiful singing voice as well as her fierceness for fighting for whatever she cares about. But the film mostly rests on the shoulders of young Elliott Heffernan, who outstandingly captures the defiant nature of his character. The two of them perfectly portray a relationship between a single mother and her son.

In supporting roles, Benjamin Clementine is indeed winning and warm, while Erin Kellyman, Harris Dickinson and Paul Weller are thoroughly effective. Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke come very close to stealing the whole film. On the whole, ‘Blitz’ is a sturdy wartime drama anchored by stunning performances and immersive sequences.