By: Michael Walsh
British director Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the famed actor of the same name) is no stranger to historical epics.
Having won Best Picture in 2013 for his remarkable 12 Years a Slave, McQueen has recently focused on telling stories based in his native Britain and the varied communities that call the isle home. His last narrative work was a five-part anthology series of films, collectively titled Small Axe, which told the tales of different black communities within Britain. McQueen has channelled this experience of telling multiple stories and brought it into his latest film, Blitz, a kaleidoscopic portrait of Londoners during the bombing of WW2.
Epic Journey
At its core, McQueen’s story follows the epic journey of George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose single mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) evacuates him to safety in the English countryside. However, George, defiant and determined to return home to his mother and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, jumps off the train and embarks on a dangerous trek homeward, whilst a distraught Rita searches for her missing son upon learning he never reached his destination. Through their separate journeys towards one another, McQueen depicts the racial tensions, poverty, gender inequality and other social issues that divided London under the surface whilst it sought to rise against these fractures to present a united, resilient front in the face of Nazi bombings.
War Destroys the Innocence of Youth
Blitz is broadly good and technically impressive, but it lacks focus and becomes episodic in its approach to showing how the Blitz affected Londoners. McQueen’s previous anthology similarly painted a group of Londoners from different perspectives. Still, each was given its own full story to illustrate the experience. Blitz is unfortunately rushed as it condenses the experience of a mother, a child, minorities, women, soldiers and more all into one panoramic landscape. Reminiscent of films like Dunkirk and Belfast, the film’s greatest strengths include its exploration of how war destroys the innocence of youth and how, in the face of collective adversity, collaboration supersedes individual prejudices. Saoirse Ronan is heartbreaking as a mother faced with single parenthood during the war and the necessity of evacuating her son, played with stiff reserve by newcomer Elliott Heffernan.
Other highlights include the film’s sound mix, score from Hans Zimmer, and production design, which help create an immersive historical portal into the experience of a society in active conflict. This resonates with more contemporary events that litter news headlines today.
REEL DIALOGUE: The love of a mother
Despite the multitude of side stories that Blitz seeks to tell, at its heart is a mother and her son. Their core relationship drives the film and is a profoundly relatable and resonant chord that many will connect with. The Bible speaks extensively about parental love, particularly the nurturing nature of the motherly bond.
A child has a deep connection to their mother, and the scriptures are filled with beautiful examples of mothers who loved their children and raised them to know God and honour Him. But we also know that no one is perfect, not even our mothers. Some people have great relationships with their mothers, while others don’t. But whilst God is called Father, in the Psalms, his care, concern and protection of His children is compared to that of a mother hen shielding her chicks beneath her wings. He is the perfect parent who loves His children. Have you felt this love?
“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?” Isaiah 49:15
Article supplied with thanks to City Bible Forum.
All images: Movie publicity
About the author: Michael Walsh is a Missions Engagement Minister in Sydney, and an avid film fan. His love of film is surpassed only by his love of God, and his desire to make the Gospel known.