‘This is for all the parents whose children have been evacuated…’
I’m probably missing loads of really prominent examples but I can’t remember the bombing of London during WWII being portrayed on the big screen in any kind of meaningful way. Acclaimed director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) delivers all the elements of a great film here but the finished product is never as great as the sum of its parts…
Rita (Saoirse Ronan) is separated from her son George (Elliott Heffernan) after he is sent away from London to avoid the German bombers during WWII. Unbeknownst to her, however, George never makes it to his planned destination, instead jumping from a train to try and find his own way back to London. On his travels, he meets Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham and, weirdly, Paul Weller.
For a director with a history of making films with real edge, Blitz feels an oddly safe film. Its narrative will be familiar to anyone who has watched a Disney film in which someone is lost and trying to find their way home, and many of the characters are lifted straight from the work of Charles Dickens, most notably Oliver Twist. What saves it from mediocrity is the performance of Ronan, possibly the greatest actor in the world right now, and a confident turn from Heffernan in what must have been a challenging role, as well as the visuals which are admittedly absolutely stunning.
Blitz has moments of greatness and features some excellent acting, but it is also forgettable and derivative. It’s not a bad film by any means but certainly a disappointment considering the talent involved.