4 out of 5 stars

In the opening moments of Blitz, the fires are raging in London. The bombings during World War II have reached the capital of England. Firefighters act quickly to put out the flames of flats until one of them is knocked out by the nozzle of a hose; it twirls uncontrollably and takes five firemen to tame. Moments like these throughout the war epic/family drama encapsulate the horrors that British civilians endured during the war, an interesting departure from the wartime epics we are used to seeing.

Blitz follows Rita (Saoirse Ronan), a single mother whose husband was deported to Grenada, and her son George (Elliott Heffernan), a nine-year-old sent away from her to avoid the dangers of the city. When George jumps from the train and journeys back to his home to see his mother, he is subjected to countless tragedies over the course of two and a half days during the London bombings. Director Steve McQueen’s latest film, his first big-screen picture since Widows (2018), tells the story of Rita and George with the artistic confidence of the British auteur, assured symbolic images, and intimate depictions of a mother and her son.

The largest name drawing viewers to the film is, of course, Ronan. She takes not the backseat but more of the passenger seat in the film, commanding as a woman who has lost her partner, Marcus (CJ Beckford), and a mother who will not lose her son. Rita works at a London factory while the men are at war, but she is also a beautiful singer, getting to sing on BBC radio in front of her co-workers. Yet, she is reserved, afraid of her voice and afraid to get involved in more “communist” activities to help those who need it. Ronan plays Rita with this reserved duality so effectively, a woman who wants to help those around her, including her son, but is afraid of the repercussions, ones she has seen first-hand. This juxtaposition helps create the picture of a dimensional character, one not normally seen in WWII films, but just as interesting.

Since her first Academy Award-nominated role in Atonement (2007), it’s been tough to outshine Saoirse Ronan in her films, but Elliott Heffernan does just that, dominating the screen time and showcasing a unique perspective of WWII. In Blitz, his only acting credit to date, Heffernan displays a full range of emotion, dragging half the emotional heft of the film. When George is first sent away from his mother, he turns to disdain, before feeling regret and sorrow not an hour into his train ride to the countryside. George is quiet, a lifetime of racist remarks making him wary of others and having to fend for himself. Heffernan is remarkable in this role, fully developed into a complex child, a strong leading role for the film. The casting department deserves its flowers overall for not only finding the talent of Heffernan but also in crafting an incredible cast of supporting characters that embody their roles, whether they are on screen for a few minutes or have a larger, yet underdeveloped role.

There is Gerald (Paul Weller), Rita’s father and George’s grandfather, a piano-playing support who is nothing but loving to his family. Rita also has Jack (Harris Dickinson), the neighbouring soldier stationed in London who long has eyes for Rita and will do anything for her. Despite his top billing in the film, Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw) receives little screen time and is underdeveloped as a character. It makes me question whether his role was cut short on the editing floor or if the screenplay itself had no interest in fully fleshing out his character. The character who gets the largest shining moments in the film is Ife (Benjamin Clementine), a caring soldier who takes George under his care and teaches him what it means to be Black. He even gets a passionate speech to the more prejudiced residents of London that may not be historically accurate but encapsulates the deeper themes McQueen imbues into his historical drama.

McQueen is no stranger to historical films. From the abominations of slavery in 12 Years a Slave (2013) to the Irish Troubles in Hunger (2008), he is keen on the complexities and darker moments of human history. He is also very in tune with discussions of race in England, as his five anthology films, Small Axe (2020) showcase. What Blitz does so well, and something other war films omit, is the horrors that exist beyond war itself. In Blitz, we see racism at every angle, from before the war, to during the bombings. We see adults and children using slurs, highlighting the harsh realities that people had to live through during some of the hardest times in human history. Racism isn’t solved in Blitz, even though Ife’s passionate plea to London residents in a bomb shelter shuts it down temporarily; it just exists.

McQueen’s direction excels in letting these moments simmer. For a film that has such a dynamic camera, creating tension in the vast, decaying city of London, McQueen lets the camera stay static, focused on the emotion on the faces of the characters. Throughout his filmography, you can find McQueen using this technique in his film’s most notably emotional moments, and it works just as well in Blitz. There is a careful balance that keeps the film propelled forward. Because of the short time frame the movie takes place in, two hours could feel like an eternity. But McQueen, along with the collaboration from cinematographer Yorick Le Saux (Little Women), chooses his images so strongly, imbuing strong symbolic elements to tell the story that dialogue cannot. Most notably is the inclusion of music, in its hopeful power and transcendence, and the darkness of the world where it is absent.

Where Blitz falters is in the difference between McQueen as a director and McQueen as a screenwriter. Blitz is his first solo writing credit, having previously co-written many projects with frequent collaborators. In this film, McQueen chooses not to show some pivotal moments, which help create tension, but unnecessary tension. There are many moments that happen off-screen that would translate the emotional aspects of the film so well that are missing in the script. Some other moments in the film also take away from the story of the main characters, and as the film deals with flashbacks frequently, it can be difficult to orient ourselves in the timeframe of the story, of when we are in September 1940 and when we are not. Blitz could have been more immersive into the story, not hiding key moments that come off as manipulative techniques that take away from the plot itself and lessen the emotional impact. It’s especially blatant when so much of the film is so well made in the aspects of tension.

The sound and music are namely some of the best technical aspects of the film. The score from Hans Zimmer may not be the German composer’s finest work, but it invokes the atmosphere of the setting so effectively, heightening tension. In Zimmer’s other World War II score, Dunkirk (2017), a ticking clock elicits the transient nature of conflict, in how each moment matters. In Blitz, his score morphs into the story of the film more organically, where the music blends so well with the sound effects of London. Chugging trains and bomb alarms become one with the music, which is very effective in creating a discomforting feeling, where every moment is full of danger. The collaboration with the sound team, led by Paul Cotterall, James Harrison, and John Casali, is a unique way of mixing the story with the filmmaking so seamlessly. It is a strong composition for the senses.

In the final moments of Blitz, McQueen crafts his greatest image of the destruction of London, and the loneliness of the city. While the film may stumble on its way at times, Blitz is assured in its emotional message and is effective in delivering it. Steve McQueen has created another great historical drama, a WWII film taking place away from the front lines but is just as horrifying.

UK • USA | 2024 | 120 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writer & director: Steve McQueen.
starring: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Paul Weller, CJ Beckford, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Mica Ricketts, Erin Kellyman, Hayley Squires, Joshua McGuire & Leigh Gill.