Communal singing in bomb shelters to ward off the terrors during a raid, listening for the high-pitched sound of a bomb dropping from above, daily life among the ruins, being a child sent off to the country to be safe, these are familiar tales to me, so it was easy to appreciate that writer/director, Steve McQueen, and his team have delivered a very authentic vision of the time.
Thanks to excellent production design (Adam Stockhausen) and an insightful director of photography (Yorick Le Saux), the overall presentation is outstanding; ultimately it is the creative storytelling that makes this film really great.
McQueen enlists his audience in a way that avoids over-dramatising significant moments, giving them opportunities to gather insights that are emotionally moving. The amount of detail delivered through the showing and not telling really makes Blitz a compelling experience.
The basic story is of Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her nine-year-old son George (Elliott Heffernan) whom she decides to send away from their inner-city life for safety. The boy doesn’t want to go; he wants to stay with his mum and grandfather (Paul Weller) at home despite the nightly bombings.
Once George is among other kids his age on the train headed for a safer place, he acts on his feelings and absconds. George has never met his father but has inherited his genes, so is subjected to racial discrimination frequently, and this is where McQueen really excels as a writer/director. The situations that arise out of George’s determination to stay with his mum roll out as an adventure, but this is no Disney flick; on the sidelines, in the background, the very harsh realities are palpable.
Blitz works on many levels to leave us thinking about the horror of war from a pedestrian point-of-view, and from a very realistic perspective. McQueen resolves his story in a way that provides a different perspective, without resorting to common cliches he evokes thoughts of humanity struggling in dire circumstances giving his audience something that will leave them relieved and most likely elevated.
I was glad to be emotionally touched without being completely devastated. With meticulously accurate visuals, excellent performances from the leads and supporting cast it is a highly watchable film.
Blitz screened at Palace Nova and Palace Prospect earlier this month as part of the British Film Festival, and will be released nationally on Friday, 22 November.
