Steven McQueen’s new historical war drama, “Blitz,” had all the makings to win an Academy Award — you can tell they had a checklist of things to include in the movie that would guarantee them an Oscar. Despite the talent and resources involved, the film falls flat.
“Blitz” follows George, a young boy in London during World War II who escapes evacuation to find his mother. The idea of framing this traumatic time in history through a child’s eyes is compelling; however, the film sacrifices character exploration for unnecessary action sequences. George encounters various people on his journey, each of whom could have deepened the story. Other evacuated kids might have been foils to George, and a police officer named Ife could have represented the adult George hoped to become. Even a gang of thieves exploiting George’s small size could have underscored the harsh realities children faced during the war. However, as soon as George meets these characters, he leaves them for contrived reasons. It seems the movie wanted George to be alone for most of the film but did not develop convincing motivations for his solitude.
Throughout the movie, viewers are meant to suspend their belief in George’s survival skills. While yes, it is a fictional tale, there should still be a level of realism — especially when the majority of the action is unnecessary. For example, the film’s climax features a flooding of the London Underground, out of which George swims to safety and gets help.
“Blitz” introduces several intriguing themes, yet they go nowhere. George, who is half-black, experiences racism from peers, and his father’s death is caused by racially motivated police violence. Ife, a Nigerian character, briefly helps George embrace his identity, but this storyline is abruptly dropped after George leaves him. Similarly, one character delivers a speech on socialism and fascism, but this is the only mention of these ideologies. Finally, the film’s last scenes — depicting London in ruins — seem to be an attempt to parallel modern war zones such as the Gaza Strip or Ukraine. While connecting a historical event to a modern one is thought-provoking, here, the comparison feels thrown together. Each concept is fascinating in its own way, but it would have been better if the movie picked only one of them to expand on. The movie tries to say everything, but it ends up saying nothing.
Despite its shortcomings, “Blitz” has some bright spots — mainly in the form of Saoirse Ronan. From her heartbreaking portrayal of a mother with a missing son during wartime to her beautiful singing voice, every time she is on screen, she is a joy. Unfortunately, she is not given much to work with script-wise. What she is given, she executes with generational talent. Hopefully, Ronan’s name will be thrown around in the Best Supporting Actress category.
The most disappointing part of “Blitz” is that it had the potential to be a great film. With an Oscar-winning team — Steve McQueen directing, Jacqueline Durran handling costumes and Hans Zimmer composing the score — the film had everything going for it. Instead, “Blitz” feels like an attempt to win awards rather than a fully realized narrative.
Rating: Three out of five Triangles.
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