JEANNE’S REVIEW

Acclaimed filmmaker Steve McQueen’s newest endeavor, BLITZ, should have been required viewing for every voting-age American prior to this potentially world-changing election. BLITZ, short for the German word “blitzkrieg” or “lightning war”, refers to the eight-month period in 1940 and 1941 when the German aerial warfare branch --- the Luftwaffe --- carried out a massive, strategic bombing campaign across England.

Saoirse Ronan stars as Rita, mother to nine-year-old George, played brilliantly by newcomer Elliott Heffernan. She and George live with her father, Gerald (Brit Award-winning musician Paul Weller), and his cat Olly. George is biracial, the result of a relationship Rita had with a West Indian seaman named Marcus (C. J. Beckford), when she was seventeen. Rita, herself, is already well aware of racism, and George is now painfully learning the ugly truth of it.

After a particularly treacherous night of seeking shelter in the Stepney Green Tube station, which was not designated an “official” shelter, Gerald implores Rita to send George to the countryside away from London, a program instituted by the government to keep children safe. George is adamant about not going, and once on the train with many others, he makes the decision to jump off.

He's determined to find his way back to East London to the home he shared with Rita, Gerald and Olly. Along the way, he meets three young brothers, who also escaped, a Black air-raid warden named Ife (Benjamin Clémentine), and a band of thieves led by Albert (Stephen Graham) and his sister, Beryl (Kathy Burke). But George’s only goal is to return home to his mother.

Writer/director McQueen did a great deal of research for BLITZ. As a Londoner, he is keenly aware of the history of this period and the long-term effects it has had on the British population. He unearthed many true stories which he wanted to include in his screenplay. Obviously, first and foremost are the evacuations of children, which are heartbreaking on their own. McQueen was also driven by the themes of race and prejudice. As an only child himself, he was drawn to the plight of Rita as a single working mother --- and the mother of a biracial child.

It's a moving and heartrending script driven by incredible performances from an amazing cast. Ronan is at her peak --- Rita even sings at the factory where she’s employed as part of the war effort to promote talented workers who may help to cheer up the populace of Britain. She and Heffernan share an exquisite

chemistry --- a darling mother/son duo.

It is Heffernan, though, who brings BLITZ to life. For such a young boy he exudes an extremely strong screen presence. He takes on this arduous role as George effortlessly. And he addresses each crisis George must endure with aplomb. He’s especially effective in his scenes with Clémentine as Ife. In just a few short sequences, the two actors form a memorable bond.

McQueen’s films are always remarkable --- and BLITZ is no exception. The cinematography by Yorick Le Saux is extraordinary, matched by the production designs of Adam Stockhausen and set designs by Anna Pinnock, both Oscar winners. Of course, such a production requires a spectacular score, and for that McQueen turned to his collaborator on 12 YEARS A SLAVE, Hans Zimmer, a multiple Oscar winner.

BLITZ is not only a compelling story, but a visually stunning one, as well. It’s a stark reminder of what millions of people endured during World War II --- and what we may face again should we choose to ignore the warning signs.

             In theaters November 1, 2024, and

       streaming on Apple TV+ November 22^nd.

Opinion: See It Now!

DAVID’S REVIEW

From September 1940 through May 1941, Adolph Hitler ordered the cruel and senseless bombing of civilian areas in London, killing many thousands of Brits. This was known as “the Blitz”, short for the German word “blitzkrieg” which means “lightning war”.

Writer/director/Academy Award winner Steve McQueen has brought this horrendous episode of Hitler’s power play to the screen in a most unusual and unique manner in BLITZ. We don’t witness soldiers in battle or anything one might see in a typical war movie. Instead, virtually everything is seen through the eyes and movements of a nine-year-old boy named George (Elliott Heffernan).

The biracial boy was put on a train by his mother, Rita, (Saiorse Ronan), in an effort to keep him safe. This was termed an evacuation. Many British families did so with their children, never sure if they would see their kids again.

However, after telling his mother that he hates her as he’s boarding, George soon decides to jump from the moving train. What ensues is an odyssey of the boy’s adventures, particularly with the people he meets as he valiantly tries to return home.

Young Heffernan was nine during the filming of BLITZ, and in this, his first feature role, he proves to be an amazing performer. His character’s courage and heroics are astounding, and Elliott acts like a veteran star, including his prowess at doing physically demanding things, like climbing atop the moving train. He was chosen for the part after a long search, and he actually was learning about the real blitz at school.

Ronan has never been better. Rita is shown working in a factory with other women immediately after she evacuates her son, as yet unaware of his escape. In one spellbinding scene, Rita delivers a song to an adoring audience, Ronan displaying a lovely singing voice.

McQueen intersperses the horrors of the Nazi blitzkrieg with flashbacks to happier times. George’s grandfather, Gerald (Paul Weller), also appears on several occasions, playing the piano with his cat Olly by his side. This is most appropriate as Weller was --- and still is --- regarded as an established rock star in the UK.

The director inserts memorable characters throughout his film, including three brothers, also evacuees whom George meets along the way. One adult man named Ife, (Benjamin Clémentine), a Black air-raid warden in London, finds George alone in an arcade and promises to help him return home.

Music plays a very important part in McQueen’s movie. In BLITZ he is reunited with his 12 YEARS A SLAVE composer, multi-Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. And a singer named Celeste, herself an Academy Award nominee, belts out a tune called “Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!”, a highlight if only for a few moments.

McQueen, a native of London himself, had the idea for this film many years ago. But after coming across a photo of a young Black boy on a train he began his quest. His exhaustive research ensured that virtually every scene in BLITZ would be historically accurate. He refused to invent anything that didn’t actually happen so he could be true to the memories of people still living and their families, who endured and survived the onslaught.

Although the timeline in the story is very short --- perhaps only a couple of days --- it seems much longer. We feel the people’s pain as McQueen focuses on smoking rubble, fire, dead victims who are targets of jewelry thieves and folks sleeping in the underground to protect themselves from the bombing. Veteran character actor, Stephen Graham, is the ringleader of a small group of these bandits.

One incredible sequence in the London Bridge station of the Tube shows water gushing in through a blasted hole and people fighting to keep from drowning. George performs an amazingly brave act here that belies his youth, also true.

While McQueen maintains our interest for the entire time, we are intrigued with two on-going questions. One, will George survive his ordeal, and two, will he ever be reunited with his mother?

             In theaters November 1, 2024, and

    streaming on Apple TV+ November 22^nd.

Opinion: Strong See It Now!