Blitz (2024) - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

WHILE many films tackle war from the frontlines of those fighting it, there hasn’t always been as much of a focus on those having to deal with living in an actual war zone. Those that have tend to dwell on a ‘blitz spirit’ of keeping calm and carrying on to do their bit.

Writer-director Steve McQueen tackles this notion in typically provocative style with his new film, the appropriately named Blitz, which looks at war-torn London during the early days of Hitler’s bombardment as told from the perspective of those living under the bombs.

In doing so, he paints a more nuanced portrait of the conditions people faced that highlights both the good and the bad in humanity. It also shines a light on the female war effort, the impact of seeing children being sent away for their safety, and pays tribute to several real-life heroes as well as at least one major tragedy.

What’s more, it also has plenty of contemporary resonance, especially when placed against the context of ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza/Lebanon and the humanitarian effect of prolonged bombing campaigns on innocent civilians, as well as the divisive effects of racism and class, and the rise of right-wing movements and ideology.

But then McQueen is a past master at shining a light on important issues, whether through his Small Axe documentary (about the West Indian community of London), or through past films such as Hunger and 12 Years A Slave. Here, he does so while simultaneously telling a very human story about a young boy desperately trying to be reunited with his mum.

The boy in question is George (Elliott Heffernan), a mixed race child who has been living with his single mum, Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her father (Paul Weller) in Stepney, in London’s East End, until he is evacuated to the country to stand a better chance of survival.

George initially scorns his mum and refuses to say goodbye, leaving her distraught, but after standing up to bullies on the train, decides to jump and return home to be reunited with her.

His ensuing journey takes him through the countryside and across London, where he meets a variety of characters: some helpful, some hindrances. When doing the latter, the film descends into a quasi-Dickensian style where evil characters pose existential threats - most notably Stephen Graham’s thieving gang leader who is clearly channeling Fagin. But the sense of peril is palpable, with McQueen vividly conveying the dangers of being tasked with doing things such as sifting through the rubble of freshly bombed buildings.

When showcasing the better side of humanity, on the other hand, McQueen gets to recognise some real-life heroes, both directly and indirectly. A Nigerian ARP warden named Ife (played brilliantly by Benjamin Clementine) is inspired by real-life warden Ita Ekpenyon, who was renowned for his kindness, compassion and resolve to stand up for people; while another character directly referenced is Mickey Davies (played by Leigh Gill), who led a communal air raid shelter in Spitalfields, for which he urged authorities to improve the medical and sanitation facilities. He is widely credited with being one of the architects of the NHS and someone McQueen feels should be more of a household name.

Even the main character of George is inspired by a photo of a young black boy holding a suitcase before being evacuated, which McQueen found during his research for the film - prompting him to ask what happened to him next.

Elsewhere, another of the film’s key sequences, involving the flooding of an Underground station being used as a refuge from the bombing, is inspired by the Balham station disaster of October 1940, which claimed the lives of 68 people.

By having researched his film so meticulously, McQueen offers terrific insights into life in Blitz-strewn London that feels more authentic and nuanced than some of the more traditional depictions that have occurred in films such as The Railway Children. It shows the true cost and emotional toll of living life in the shadow of nightly destruction.

In doing so, he also creates a platform for some terrific performances from his principal players, with Heffernan a standout in his first major role as George, and Ronan typically brilliant as Rita, channelling equal parts resilience, vulnerability and fear.

The look of the film is also terrific, as you’d expect from an artist of McQueen’s calibre, evoking the many extremes and contradictions of the period - from the squalor of the East End to the wealthier parts of the West End and some of its nightlife, to everything in between. His refusal to pull back from some of the more heinous goings-on also lends the film a greater authenticity.

Hence, Blitz succeeds on many levels. It’s a fitting tribute to Second World War London with plenty to say about modern conflict; it’s a great historical record of some key moments and figures and it’s a damn fine movie in its own right. It rates as another impressive achievement from McQeen, now rightly considered as one of Britain’s finest filmmakers.