Written by Andreas Babiolakis

You know that the world’s in a dark, dark place when even Steve McQueen — a filmmaker known for his punishing, cynical, visceral works — softens up because we’re facing hardship on a daily basis; who wants to feel even more downtrodden? We’ve seen McQueen make a gorgeous, upbeat film before with Lovers Rock (a part of his Small Axe miniseries), so we know he has it in him to fully become a light, loving director if he ever so desired (Lovers Rock is perhaps his greatest film after his Best Picture winning opus, 12 Years a Slave). His latest film, Blitz, doesn’t really go far enough to be considered fluffy or light, but perhaps McQueen has cheered up a bit in his old age; he doesn’t want to drag his audiences through misery as often as possible anymore. Even so, despite the fact that Blitz is the closest to the works of Steven Spielberg (and that director’s brand of optimism even within the darkest times) by McQueen, McQueen never gets saccharine with Blitz: he still recognizes the seriousness and importance of his work. Always a director to focus on the sociopolitical impacts on history, McQueen has made Blitz applicable to mass audiences without losing the tension necessary to still make a statement.

The film’s title refers to the Blitz of 1940 and 1941: an eight-month stretch during World War II where the Germans rained bombs throughout the United Kingdom. I personally believe the title also describes the sudden urgency of its two protagonists and their flurry of emotions that drive their decisions. We follow mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her best efforts to keep her small family afloat during these distressing times, including working in a factory. Rita feels forced to evacuate her sole child during the blitzkrieg for his protection, and has him sent safely to the countryside. Her son, George (the first-timer Elliott Heffernan) doesn’t like this new life outside of London (a move that was necessary to try to avoid the worst of the bombings and events of war), and — as an act of defiance to his mother (who he feels was trying to punish him)— tries to head back to London unannounced one day. Blitz then becomes a quest for mother and son to be reunited, but there is an awful lot that happens in between these major moments as well. Blitz is about trying to capture a wider picture, and we see the societal divide and bigotry (specifically towards female, Jewish, and Black citizens, the latter stemming from George being mixed race), as well as the hope necessary to get through this hell.

*Blitz* is more complex than its Hollywood sheen may lead on given to its glimpses at the chaos of war time.

While Blitz is about separation and the goal to reunite, it’s clear that McQueen is speaking about contemporary divide with his film (this extends worldwide, too, and not just the United Kingdom). The political schism of the last decade (or more) continues to fracture further as the years go by and more “leaders” instruct us to hate those who are different or think differently to ourselves. There are calls for warmth and understanding throughout Blitz, but not without any reminders of how ugly we can be to one another as well. Other critics have noted the similarities between London in ruins and the ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip or the Ukraine, which are impossible to ignore. I also picked up on the class struggles, fears of fascism, and hostility within the populace that are impossible to miss in everyday life if you don’t live under a rock.

With massive sets that tower over us (with threats of collapse at any given second), a rustic colour palette, and composer Hans Zimmer channeling both John Williams and Godspeed You! Black Emperor at any given time, Blitz successfully takes us back to a different time while also reminding us that these contemporaneous years aren’t so different. There is a lot to unpack while watching Blitz, but, as if McQueen is also in a hurry during these moments of panic, I do feel like a lot of the details — both visual and historical — are glossed over, not allowing us to become fully immersed by the experience and commentary like we typically would be with McQueen’s films; maybe he was aiming for a leaner runtime to guarantee his clear mission to make Blitz more accessible than his usual releases. As a result, a film that was meant to be streamlined feels a bit fragmented, like moments just happen because they’re meant to. This does at least partially play into the film’s favour, seeing as a large part of its message is that war is unpredictable and anything can happen to anyone.

I do think Blitz could have been stronger had it had a longer runtime (maybe not four-and-a-half hours long like McQueen’s polarizing documentary, Occupied City, mind you), because some proper pacing to allow for characters to develop and sequences to organically unfurl would have been beneficial. With two stellar performances from a former child superstar (Ronan) and an actor who may be destined to have a similar fate (Heffernan), we get a strong connection between these characters, their surroundings, and us, even when the film’s speed and disjointed nature occasionally get in the way. Enough of the film is powerful — from its messages and compassion, down to its eruptive final act (especially a haunting final image to marinate on once credits roll) — to warrant you sticking through the seldom lulls, and these stronger moments remind you of what McQueen (one of the finest directors of our time) is capable of when he is operating at a peak level. Had another director handled this film similarly (using McQueen’s screenplay, let’s say), maybe they would have allowed the flaws to overtake their motion picture to the point that the high points didn’t matter. McQueen is great enough to pull us past his lapses, and the end result is Blitz: not one of his finer works, but a film that is effective and striking enough to tell you that he’s still got it.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.