THE STORY – In World War II London, nine-year-old George is evacuated to the countryside by his mother, Rita, to escape the bombings. Defiant and determined to return to his family, George embarks on a journey back home as Rita searches for him.
THE CAST – Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Elliott Heffernan, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Erin Kellyman & Leigh Gill
THE TEAM – Steve McQueen (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 120 Minutes
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen has given us some of the finest films of the last twenty years. From his quietly brutal directorial debut “Hunger,” to the dark character study “Shame,” to the harrowing Oscar Best Picture-winning film “12 Years A Slave” and his socially-charged work on the small screen with the “Small Axe” anthology series, he has always used the visual medium to push the audience in difficult but meaningfully rich directions, offering us a glimpse into the human condition through his artistic lens. His latest and biggest film to date, “Blitz,” provides a visually striking yet emotionally intimate portrayal of London during the German blitzkrieg of World War II (also known as the “Lightning War”). Despite the larger canvas to work on, McQueen disappointingly tells a more straightforward and widely accessible story than what he has given us in the past, even if it still manages to maintain his exceptional attention to detail and focus on human emotion.
“Blitz” follows the story of nine-year-old George (Elliott Heffernan), a mixed-race boy who lives with his single mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), who works in a steel factory to support the war effort. It’s been one year into the bombings on the city where more than half the victims are children. Any playfulness George and other kids may experience in their day-to-day with their parents or each other is often broken by the dreadful sound of sirens, as ordinary life must be interrupted as everyone waits with demoralizing anxiety for the next attack. By luck, they will either survive because a bomb did not happen to fall on them, or they will perish. Many seek shelter in the subways, which are often overrun as people are forced to sleep on the tracks overnight until the bombings are over. However, as McQueen illustrates, no matter anyone’s race, religion, or class, there’s nowhere to hide. In a desperate attempt to save her son, Rita sends George away, but George’s bond with his mother is too strong, and he jumps from the train, setting him off on a journey through the war-torn countryside in search of his mother and his way back home.
The narrative switches back and forth between Rita’s and George’s perspectives, using flashbacks to establish the emotional connection between them and, thus, with the audience. McQueen’s skill at telling a gripping story steeped within the human condition to survive is still apparent and on display on a far bigger scale than he’s ever attempted before. However, the storytelling here is much simpler, almost too straightforward. For any other filmmaker, such a thrilling presentation would be seen as a triumph, but for McQueen, it’s a missed opportunity to examine more deeply the complexities of wartime survival and identity.
The film opens with an extreme scene of chaos as firefighters battle to contain fires after a devastating air raid one night in London, their firehoses twirling out of control as the overwhelmingly hopeless situation bears down upon them. McQueen wastes no time establishing the fear that permeates every moment of life in war-torn London. The intense sound design is engaging, accentuated by Hans Zimmer’s piercing strings and thymic patterns often set to the film’s sound effects. The production design, showcasing a once lively city, reduced to rubble and ash is staggering. On a technical level, McQueen meticulously recreates the setting, atmosphere, and feeling of a city that was once full of life but is now crushed and buried under death or the impending fear of it. The bombed-out ruins, the ash-filled streets, and the palpable fear of death lend the film a haunting authenticity. The tension never lets up, and the audience is given no illusion of safety—just as the citizens of London weren’t. While the film’s scale is massive, McQueen creates a Dickensian tapestry of life that feels deeply personal. Characters like Rita’s father, Gerald (Paul Weller), who tries to prepare George for life’s challenges with sayings like “All mouth, no trousers,” and occasionally plays piano in their flat add little touches of warmth to what a peaceful existence might’ve looked like in 1940’s London. Even in moments of crippling fear, McQueen doesn’t lose sight of the individual stories that make this period of history come alive.
One particularly memorable sequence involves the rich enjoying a lavish dance party at a high-end club (calling upon the same lived-in vibrancy McQueen highlighted so gracefully in “Lovers Rock“), serving as a reminder that no one was immune to the devastation, regardless of class. Yet, these moments of the recognizable McQueen brilliance are interspersed with others that are less developed and broadly presented with only a surface-level reading. There’s a subplot involving a firefighter (Harris Dickinson) who clearly has affection for Rita that is never further explored, and Stephen Graham makes a late appearance as a menacing but immature gang leader who wishes to use George to steal valuables off the corpses of the dead that comes across too cartoonish to warrant its inclusion.
George’s journey, while emotionally engaging, follows a fairly predictable path, encountering various individuals who either assist or hinder him. Benjamin Clementine plays a Black soldier who assists George and gets him questioning his identity as a mixed-race child caught up in this war where the color of one’s skin doesn’t mean much when the bombs are falling. While this is another plotline that falls right in line with McQueen’s sensibilities as a storyteller, it comes off as too lightly underdeveloped for the brisk runtime, which doesn’t allow for such introspection. McQueen also attempts to introduce the symbolic element of George’s St. Christopher pendant, which he carries along his journey, but it too feels a bit heavy-handed in representing protection and guidance during such a physical and emotional journey.
Despite these shortcomings, “Blitz” remains an ambitious film for McQueen, and the sheer scale of its production is impressive. However, the streamlined runtime is another hindrance, as many side characters are not fleshed out, and often, compelling themes that are introduced are not fully explored. One wishes this was another television endeavor for McQueen so his characters could have more time to breathe, bringing more life to the already well-established time period in which he and his team have so thoughtfully invested time and money. McQueen’s shift to a more accessible narrative may dissatisfy fans expecting the daring complexity of his earlier films. Still, newcomer Elliott Heffernan and Saoirse Ronan (who shockingly sings very well in the film) are reliable anchors for the story as their performances give it a necessary layer of humanity that only adds to the film’s overall emotional impact.
“Blitz’s” ending, a bait-and-switch that will likely divide viewers, underscores the film’s ultimate message: even amidst the debris and ashes of destruction, life finds a way to carry on. Whether this conclusion feels earned or overly sentimental depends on one’s expectations heading into “Blitz” and how familiar you are with McQueen’s previous work. At times, “Blitz” doesn’t feel like a Steve McQueen film. It’s a fine enough effort in a vacuum, but coming from an artist with the kind of established pedigree he has, it marks a potential shift toward more commercial filmmaking that may not excite as his other works once did. “Blitz” may not push any boundaries. However, it still highlights McQueen’s prowess at telling a powerfully heartfelt story, in this case, of a city, its people under attack, their steadfast resilience, and hope for a better future.
