- Sunday, October 13, 2024
The film follows a nine-year-old boy, who embarks on a journey to reunite with his mother and grandfather in London during the Nazis’ bombing campaign of 1940-41
By: India Weekly
STEVE MCQUEEN’S latest film, “Blitz,” serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of war, a message underscored by the Oscar-winning director’s observation that people increasingly “look away.”
The film, which opened the London Film Festival, follows nine-year-old George, who embarks on a challenging journey to reunite with his mother, played by Saoirse Ronan, and grandfather, portrayed by Paul Weller, in East London during the Nazis’ bombing campaign of 1940-41.
By telling the story through the eyes of a child, McQueen aimed to capture the “perversity” of war without the distractions that adult perspectives can bring.
He noted, “With adults… there’s a moment where we tend to look away, or tend to compromise or not listen. But with a child it’s good and bad, right and wrong… it’s very sobering.”
In one scene, George, played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan, witnesses the destruction of his neighborhood from the bombings.
Inspiration for ‘Blitz’
McQueen’s own background in London and his experiences as an artist and filmmaker inform the film’s narrative. A pivotal moment came from his visit to Iraq as an official artist for the Imperial War Museum in 2003.
He found inspiration for “Blitz” while researching for a 2020 television project when he came across a WWII photograph of a black child waiting for evacuation.
“I thought ‘that’s my in!’” he said, emphasizing the need to portray the narrative of the Blitz through this unique perspective.
The film addresses themes of racism in 1940s Britain, as well as issues like female empowerment, which are often overlooked in traditional accounts of the era.
“As much as we’re fighting our enemy, we’re fighting ourselves… it’s sexism, it’s racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia,” he explained.
Central to “Blitz” is a love story between a mother and her son, which McQueen considers “timeless.”
While some characters are fictional, he based others on real people and conducted extensive research to ensure authenticity. “I didn’t want to put my stencil onto it. I wanted to find out… what actually was going on,” he stated.
The film deliberately excludes well-known figures like prime minister Winston Churchill, as McQueen focused on the experiences of ordinary people. “That was not my narrative,” he reiterated.
London debut
The film premiered in London, a choice McQueen was particularly pleased with, stating, “For this particular movie, for me, there was no other place I wanted to debut it.”
McQueen and his cast praised Heffernan for his impressive audition, with McQueen remarking, “Often, you don’t know what you’re looking for, but you recognize it when you see it.”
Ronan expressed her admiration for the bond she formed with Heffernan on set. “What naturally started to come out for the two of us was a friendship,” she said.
Heffernan credited Ronan for his “exceptional” performance, sharing, “When we first met, we just clicked.” “Blitz” will be in select theatres starting November 1, followed by its release on Apple TV+ on November 22.
