The director of the Oscar-winning film- 12 Years a Slave, Director Steve McQueen, has proved excellent when approaching historical horrors. It’s the same thing he tries to do in his latest directional piece, Blitz. The film is an opening film at the London Film Festival. A historical drama about the bombing of London by the Germans during World War 2, the movie tries to show us what it must be like to endure such an awful environment- and the film almost succeeds in showing the viewers that.
The film has unique sequences that make it worthwhile to watch. Apart from the unique sequences, there are some inspirational sequences too. However, one drawback that is quite visible is that the film is different from any other work by Director McQueen. The film doesn’t have the impact of 12 Years A Slave or other McQueen films such as Hunger and Shame. However, 12 Years A Slave is a film about one person’s life, while Blitz is based on a historical incident. The film is based on extensive research from director McQueen, who wrote the script. The film has an almost gripping narrative with a consistent tone.
Blitz Plot
The film’s protagonist is George (Elliott Heffernan), a nine-year-old boy. He is of mixed-race origin. George lives at the east end of London with his white mother, Rita(Saoirse Ronan), and his grandfather, Gerald(Paul Weller). In September 1940, George’s family decided living with them was unsafe, so he had to go to the countryside with the other evacuees. His family bid him a tearful farewell by making him board a train, but George had other plans. He decides to jump off the train and return to London. Traveling alone at the mere age of nine is risky enough at any time, but specifically at a time when bombs are dropping, it is far more dangerous than one can think.
Blitz Review Of The Historical Drama
When George decides to go back to London in that dangerous time, what follows in the film is a journey that follows a thrilling, morally moving story through Great Britain at War with the Germans. Many supporting characters’ short stories support George in his solo journey. The supporting characters help George go from one adventure to another while showcasing their stories’ impact on the film’s plot and George. Few characters stick out for a longer duration in the movie, but their often short fleeting time mostly leaves an impact.
Performances of the Actors
Benjamin Clementine as Ife gives a moving performance of a Nigerian descent person who offers George fatherly support during a hard night. Leigh Gill as Mickey Davies shines as a Jewish Public health campaigner. Other cast members, like Saoirse Ronan as Rita, George’s mother, portray an emotional yet sensible mother who knows when to depart from her child. Still, how to process the painful separation she quite doesn’t know.
Collectively, the viewers see a country writing its next chapter. Britain is ready to face the German attacks. While George is of mixed-race origin- his father is of Grenada, and his mother is a white lady. The question of where he might be placed in the group portrait is one question that keeps him troubled throughout the film.
Heffernan, an 11-year-old boy who plays the role of George in Blitz, performs beautifully in his debut role. His role is impactful enough to give its viewers a sense that the character of George doesn’t fully understand these existential questions or racism. Still, he understands the gravity of those severe topics at the mere age of 9.
A Historical Drama or a Children’s adventure film?
The surprising thing about Blitz is that parts of the film could have been mistaken for a children’s adventure film. The film has some unimpressive child-acting, some tearful emotional moments, and many of the stereotypes of a traditional period drama. The pubs are spotless, and the houses look like museums. The perfectly neat, clean clothes that most people can be seen wearing while the world is falling apart due to the bombings. In conclusion, the film doesn’t appear true to its core incident. There is nothing wrong with everything shown; this film required a certain conventional plot to go with the conventional time and tragic incident, and McQueen seems unable to justify that.
Blitz – Final Words
Besides these scenes, McQueen’s film- Blitz is a big-picture British Cinema of deep depth. London and the countryside are shot with a subtle elegance. The bombing sequences raise a sense of panic and fear in the viewers. McQueen’s portrayal of London’s racial diversity is a worthwhile credit to his direction. Considering how diversity is portrayed over the years in several films, the scenes in the film make a point worth making.
Among its many marvelous scenes is a scene in the film with a close-up image of George’s sleeping face as he shelters in the London Bridge station that gradually fades to a long-range shot of the London city burning above due to the bombs. In this scene, the film suggests that the nation has changed. The film is exciting and informative and keeps the audience interested throughout the film.
