Saoirse Ronan and young Elliott Heffernan star in this Steve McQueen feature film set during World War II in which the director and screenwriter continues to explore his favorite themes.
Nine-year-old George (Elliott Heffernan) and his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) listen to their grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) play the piano when, a few weeks later, German bombs set London ablaze. . Pushed by Gerald, Rita then makes the decision to send her son to safety in the countryside, by train, like thousands of other British parents.
Mixed race, little George quickly becomes the target of other children during his trip. Frightened and fearing the treatment that will be reserved for him at his destination, the little boy jumps from the moving train and decides to return to his mother, the journey that awaits him will be strewn with various dangers.
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Filmmaker known for his excellent Hunger strike, The shame et Slave for twelve yearsSteve McQueen paints a harsh portrait of England during the Second World War. Racism is omnipresent, a scene with police officers explaining what happened to George’s father is particularly cruel. The misogyny is also there, Rita’s boss is abject towards these women who take the place of the men who have gone to the front. Blitz is unapologetic, with George’s encounter with a military police soldier (singer Benjamin Clementine) finally giving him a sense of the reality of the color of his skin.
Certain scenes have the power of Hunger strike orSlave for twelve yearsthe dialogues and camera movements of Steve McQueen capturing, in a few moments, the horror of a situation or the inhuman absurdity of the society of the time. And even if Blitz never manages to match the director’s other memorable works, the feature remains deeply touching and full of relevant historical details.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Blitz is screened in theaters from November 8 before being presented via Apple TV+ from November 22.
