London Film Festival 2024 – Blitz ★★★★

Released: 1 November (select cinemas)/22nd November (Apple TV+)

Director: Steve McQueen

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Elliot Heffernan

If there is one thing director Steve McQueen doesn’t shy away from, it’s the truth. His projects, be it Hunger, Shame, 12 Years A Slave, Widows, or Small Axe: Mangrove (to name a few) have been visceral cinematic experiences. It’s what makes him who he is, someone who wants to tell a story as authentically as possible without compromise, sugarcoating and excuse. That unapologetic bedrock still continues today, and it’s what makes his latest feature Blitz, a compelling, heartbreaking and poignant film.

But this revelation shouldn’t come as a surprise when McQueen’s craft and ability has always been at the top of his game, especially when combining immersion and emotion – and that feeling is immediately felt from its dramatic opening. We’re thrown into the chaos of 1940s London during the Blitz, short for ‘blitzkrieg’ – the German military offence used to bomb the capital. Firefighters rush desperately to put out the flames of building buildings. As horrific and intense as experiencing a war zone, we witness one firefighter knocked out by his own fire hose as it flails violently out of control. With the bombings edging closer to their East End home, young mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) is forced to make a tough decision by sending her son George (Elliott Heffernan in his debut role) away to the countryside for his safety. Wanting to return home, he embarks on a journey through London’s city streets while seeing the many lives affected by the war.  

You get the feeling that McQueen learned a lot from his experiences working on Occupied City (which premiered at last year’s London Film Festival). The resonance of that film sees Blitz utilise the same technique of blending and stitching multiple collections of snapshot stories into a place of power, reflection and re-education. Occupied City’s intimate strength was seeing the present day juxtaposed with the Nazis’ occupation of Dutch cities in the Netherlands. There were tales of bravery, survival and real life acts of resistance amidst the underlying acts of atrocities committed to the country. As experienced, there was always a sense you’re walking around history with the many untold stories lingering within those communities and its impact on modern-day society. Blitz brings that notion full circle, using a mother and her son as that navigational compass.

We see this through Rita, George and Rita’s dad Gerald (Paul Weller) as they escape to the shelters at Stepney Green Underground Station. Chaos unfolds, which nearly starts a riot until an air warden officer demands it be opened. It’s recognisable as Rita sings in front of her colleagues, designed to keep the nation happy in a BBC broadcast before it’s hijacked by her friend who campaigns for using the underground stations as shelters. We see the community efforts at bomb shelters as well as the impact the war had on the rich and poor divide. McQueen excels in these moments, capturing the moral compass of individuals, their sense of humanity and what we choose to absorb or ignore. Blitz is not Passport to Plimico or any post-war film from the UK. However great, or a staple of British film culture, Blitz fills in the gaps where even its modern day parallels resonate today. 

With an extensive budget, the production design and costuming instantly transports us back to the decade, and there’s nothing more harrowing than seeing a bombed-out London or the flooding of London Bridge Underground Station. Reuniting with McQueen since 12 Years A Slave composer Hans Zimmer produces a score that intensifies yet amplifies those dramatic scenes, and it’s not everyday when an air raid siren can sound intimidating when you add violin strings into the mix.

However, there are times where some of these choices veer the film into uneven territory. In trying to cram everything, it swiftly embraces its coming of age story mixed with women’s contribution to the war (as munitions workers) alongside bureaucracy and jingoism and an uncompromising reality of racism towards Black and Asian communities whilst set against an unrelenting backdrop of German attacks. It even has room for Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke as Dickensian ‘Artful Dodgers’, luring George into their criminal activities. And not to be left out, moments of Black joy and excellence at parties and clubs that will spark memories of Small Axe: Lover’s Rock. There is an argument that Blitz is doing too much in its lengthy runtime, however, you can’t fault the ambition. The slightly unstructured feel plays its part in George’s experiences, summing up the culture of the land.

While it is not the first film centred from a child’s POV (for example, Empire of the Sun with future Batman star Christian Bale), the impact remains the same. Through George – a mixed raced Black boy – he goes through friendship, constant racist provocations (which is all-too familiar and still felt today) and a reclamation of his Black identity. McQueen is laser-focused in this approach, filtering between George’s heart-wrenching hardships of survival and his memories of family get-togethers around the piano. It’s these moments where McQueen finds balance between the art itself, where hope and love can shine through the darkness. That is typified by the introduction of Ife (Benjamin Clémentine), a Nigerian air warden who helps George to get home. It’s such a sweet moment and Clémentine’s on-screen presence is so inviting that he makes the most of limited screen time. Even more important, his role was based on a real-life air warden officer.

It’s these small details that elevate Blitz, recognising the real-life tales unearthed from this journey. The character of George is inspired by a photo of a Black boy taking shelter in an underground station, and Heffernan embodies that story by carrying the weight of the film on his young shoulders. It is an accomplished performance to be proud of. And not to be left out of the conversation, Ronan adds another outstanding character to her career. The female perspective of the war is an element not often depicted, and through her viewpoint (which is an impressive feat), we not only see sacrifice but the empathy and care that goes beyond simply playing a “mother” figure. It’s a subtle role filled with emotional payoffs.

It’s not McQueen’s best film, but even a lesser McQueen film is still the best this country has to offer. It’s an absorbing and captivating film that has plenty to say, and when it does, it speaks it into existence with a loud bang.