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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What complicates George\u2019s odyssey \u2014 and sets Blitz<\/em> further apart from other narratives set during the war \u2014 is his experience as a mixed-race child who lives with his white mother and musician grandfather (The Jam\u2019s 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<\/em> also features flashbacks that reveal George and Rita\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u201ckeep calm and carry on.\u201d The Brits in Blitz<\/em> find joy and comfort however they can, and those instances are a respite for the audience as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with those moments, Blitz<\/em> is a harrowing test of endurance. I\u2019ve 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n McQueen balances a variety of tones so this doesn\u2019t 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<\/em>, even though the context is wildly different. It expertly uses sound and score to up the sense of unease, playing with silence equally adeptly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet for how good it sounds overall, Blitz<\/em> is occasionally heavy-handed with its dialogue. A speech from a friendly Nigerian warden (Benjamin Cl\u00e9mentine) about the ills of racism is stirring, largely thanks to the efforts of Cl\u00e9mentine and Heffernan. Yet as scripted, it feels like a moment from a lesser, more obvious movie. In this scene and others, Blitz<\/em> 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\u2019d be expressed a little less bluntly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite its small problems, Blitz<\/em> 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\u2019t seen before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Blitz” is in theaters this weekend. It premieres on Apple TV+ on November 22.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/blitz2-1024x683.jpeg\")
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