Film Review: BLITZ: Director Steve McQueen’s World War II Drama is a Cinematic Gem [NYFF 2024]

Blitz Review

Blitz (2024) Film Review from the 62nd Annual New York Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Steve McQueen and starring Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Elliott Heffernan, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, John Mackay, Liam Smith, Steve Paget, Sally Messham, Tom Crawley, Erin Kellyman, Hayley Squires and Joshua McGuire.

Not every movie can be measured simply by the quality of the acting although the acting in Steve McQueen’s new cinematic triumph, Blitz, is perfectly fine. The background details in McQueen’s new World War II drama are of the highest caliber as the picture displays the essence of the time period it so masterfully recreates. As the movie focuses on details of the British capital bombing, it also creates two very memorable characters in single mom Rita (the always wonderful Saoirse Ronan) and her young son, George (a memorable Elliott Heffernan). It is the elements of the cinematography, the sound effects editing and the acting which all come together to make Blitz a sheer triumph in storytelling despite a couple of minor flaws which have nothing to do with the technical precision of the film which is near perfect.

As the movie’s main story line begins, Rita and George are making sounds together and enjoying each other’s company immensely. Rita is a dedicated factory worker but her primary concern in her life is the well-being of her son, George. Soon, conditions intensify and Rita puts George on a train in order to secure safer temporary living conditions. George doesn’t want that and would prefer to reunite with his mother but that will be easier said than done as the war is heightening and all hell is about to break loose around them.

This film excels in the creation of its underground stations where people were forced to seek safety from the air raids and the frightening intensity of these sequences is masterfully conveyed on-screen by McQueen’s probing direction. It’s heartbreaking to watch George try to sleep on a track in uncomfortable circumstances. When George is forced to get help towards the end as water begins to flood the station, audiences will certainly be on the edge of their seats.

We see a scene that showcases a puppet show with Hitler as a character. This scene very much stands out as an example of how elements of the war were conveyed to children in order for them to try to make sense out of what was going on. This is a heartbreaking scenario that is well-used in the picture at a given interval where it serves a distinct purpose to see how children were trying to digest the horrific elements which were occurring around them.

Rita has two love interests. One is the black man she wholeheartedly loved and the other is a new potential significant other who she meets during wartime. Rita dances the night away with her true love in one scene but the authorities get the best of them as they unfairly target Rita’s lover. The other guy is Harris Dickinson’s all too briefly seen sympathetic fireman, Jack, who takes a liking to Rita as events transpire throughout the film.

The rest of the supporting cast is all fine. Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke efficiently play jewel thieves who send a woman to trick George and enlist his help in finding valuables even under dire circumstances directly related to the devastating effects of the war. Paul Weller plays George’s grand dad, Gerald, and makes the most of his relatively brief screen time in this film.

There is one unforgettable scene where characters are dancing away one night as a raid is occurring and the overhead shot of these characters is simply breathtaking to behold. It’s one of McQueen’s best shots in Blitz. Many scenes in Blitz feel so authentic that they serve to help create a life-like experience of what it was like to actually be there in the difficult and disturbing situations that the film portrays.

Saoirse Ronan is first-rate as a mother who will do anything for the love of her son. She will not give up searching until her boy is found. Ronan could just end up as a double-Oscar nominee for her work this year with her supporting turn in this film and her strong leading role in The Outrun. Elliott Heffernan is a bright up-and-comer and every scene he’s in, he is given star treatment by McQueen who knows a good child actor when he sees one. Certainly, Heffernan could get a nomination for the best young star of the year from critics groups who recognize that distinction. McQueen’s direction is always a phenomenal asset of Blitz from beginning to end and makes the film rise above a couple of mediocre elements such as the under-use of the Dickinson character.

Blitz takes us through the underground stations in the film’s setting much like the way Titanic took viewers through the ship on which it was set. McQueen is a non-conventional filmmaker and there have been some complaints that Blitz is conventional in its basic structure. I disagree. While McQueen uses some basically familiar story-telling techniques to streamline his story, his film is, at its heart, a true original and must be seen. There’s nothing familiar about the groundbreaking night shots he employs here and the underground sequences which are heart-wrenching in their excesses. Blitz offers viewers hope among the chaos. This is a very good film.

Rating: 8/10

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