Kimber Myers
In my shitty American history class in high school, the London Blitz was just a quick mention in a single 40-minute period as the teacher focused more on the U.S. efforts and impacts of the war. The scope and scale of the air raids never fully registered with me—and likely others suffering from similar U.S.-centric curricula. Though World War II movies are a fixture throughout film history, ones centering on the eight months when the Luftwaffe bombed London and other towns nightly are rare — with movies that truly dwell on the terror even rarer still. Yet writer-director Steve McQueen invites the audience to fully inhabit that moment with the aptly titled and singularly focused Blitz.
The thriller follows nine-year-old George (Elliott Heffernan) as his mother, Rita (an astonishing-as-ever Saoirse Ronan), attempts to send him to the countryside and away from the danger in London as part of Operation Pied Piper, which evacuated hundreds of thousands of children. However, George is equally stubborn and brave, and he escapes from the train taking him away from the city. His journey back to his home finds him encountering a variety of perils, both from the attacking Germans and from his countrymen.
What complicates George’s odyssey — and sets Blitz further apart from other narratives set during the war — is his experience as a mixed-race child who lives with his white mother and musician grandfather (The Jam’s Paul Weller). Stories about Black people and other people of color in this era are uncommon, despite their very real and documented presence in society. Though set across just a few days, Blitz also features flashbacks that reveal George and Rita’s lives before the bombs scream down upon the town, juxtaposing happier moments with ones that demonstrate that racism has run through their lives before the arrival of the Germans. Those lighter beats extend into the film’s present and serve as a contrast to the literal and figurative darkness. The humor and laughter go beyond the traditional idea of the English stiff upper lip and the slogan to “keep calm and carry on.” The Brits in Blitz find joy and comfort however they can, and those instances are a respite for the audience as well.
Even with those moments, Blitz is a harrowing test of endurance. I’ve felt more relaxed watching moderately scary horror movies than I did watching this historical action one. Its quieter and comical moments are often quickly followed by sucker punches to the gut, leaving viewers gasping and feeling pummeled by the end of its two tightly edited hours.
McQueen balances a variety of tones so this doesn’t feel utterly grim or grueling (though it is not the easiest sit either, especially for those who may be bothered by witnessing a child in peril). He displays equal talent at directing dialogue-heavy scenes and action-driven scenes, but where he really shines is the multiple sequences filled with on-screen music and performances. These are as electric as those in his lively Lovers Rock, even though the context is wildly different. It expertly uses sound and score to up the sense of unease, playing with silence equally adeptly.
Yet for how good it sounds overall, Blitz is occasionally heavy-handed with its dialogue. A speech from a friendly Nigerian warden (Benjamin Clémentine) about the ills of racism is stirring, largely thanks to the efforts of Clémentine and Heffernan. Yet as scripted, it feels like a moment from a lesser, more obvious movie. In this scene and others, Blitz is commenting not only on the state of London in 1940 but also on the state of the U.K., America, and the rest of the goddamn world in 2024, and it telegraphs this intent a little too clearly. The sentiments unfortunately still need to be said, but one wishes they’d be expressed a little less bluntly.
Despite its small problems, Blitz is a powerful film directed by a master at the top of his game. I kept it together for most of its running time, but immediately after exiting the building into the relative quiet and safety of the real world, I struggled to catch my breath and not sob on the street. McQueen has made an utter nightmare of a movie that depicts the hell of the Blitz with precision and emotion, reinvigorating the war movie genre with a story we haven’t seen before.
A-
“Blitz” is in theaters this weekend. It premieres on Apple TV+ on November 22.
