Last Updated on November 1, 2024 by Stephinie Heitman
Blitz is a 2024 Comedy Drama Movie directed and written by Steve McQueen. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, and Benjamin Clémentine, with a runtime of 2-hour 0 min, and was released on November 1, 2024.
Blitz, conveys an emotional drama demonstrated through Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her son George’s (Elliott Heffernan) plight in an attempt to survive the holocaust in World War II’s London. The prologue takes us deep into the world of the characters and shows how the war has upset their lives. They moved to live with Rita’s father, Gerald, in an area referred to as Stepney in East London. While Gerald plays piano, music cannot silence the noises of the air raid sirens and the bombings that are happening in the city. Rita is employed at a munitions factory, assembling bombs to aid the British in combating Hitler’s forces. However hard they try to safeguard the city, everyone is vulnerable to the bombings, a recurrent theme in the series.
During the Blitz, German planes bombed London continuously, and the government had to evacuate children in an attempt to protect them. While it may seem that such a decision is very hard to make for many parents, they will agree that it is essential. Rita admits that, indeed, sending her son George to the countryside is the right decision for saving him even though it is painful when the child is sent away. But this is not true, George does not share the same opinion. A fear that makes him upset is the thought of having to be apart from his mother and his house. Having to go and part with Rita, George blows up angry and scared saying that he hates her then he goes away saying he will not say goodbye as he is going away on the train. It is an emotional scene that must have been a particular low for the family but it demonstrates that even in the absence of actual conflict, war reaches deep and impacts everyone.
Afterward, George also experiences his struggles as soon as he leaves the place. He gets harassed by bullies on the train asking him if he wants them to get off at the next stop and that he can’t even fight for himself; however, he humiliates them with a brave attitude and says he is tough. However, although George is a courageous man, he feels wrong towards his mom and realizes he never wants to be apart from her. He takes a daring decision—he chooses to jump off the train that is in motion. From here, his adventure turns rather daring and fatal. He does not know that on another carriage there are three brothers left and they play hide and seek for a short time to have some fun and escape from the hopelessness of their situation. However, this does not last and the boy again finds himself heartbroken as a tragedy occurs and he is left on his own, away from his newly-found comrades.
Thus, one of the main conflicts prevalent in both Rita’s and George’s life experiences is racism. George, whose mother is white and whose father is black, is a victim of racial discrimination at the hands of the white dominant society. He is bullied by other children and even they belittle him by calling him names and making things difficult for him. This is evident when Rita feels the same way as Steve when people insult her and George just because they are together. The themes of racism are also discussed in the movie in several scenes such as the flashback that depicts George’s father Marcus playing jazz in the club and a scene that shows a soldier’s interaction with George urging him to be proud of who he is. However, these scenes are rather tangential and do not focus on how racism connects to the war, which could have made for an intriguing theme.
Meanwhile, George goes through a treacherous journey, and Rita has to keep working on the factory line, focus on the battle, yet, think about her son. She gets selected to sing on live BBC radio which makes her very happy and is good for her self-esteem. However, Rita does not lose hope and does everything she can to keep on going. In that aspect, the film does not explore her character much in terms of emotional complexity, which makes her seem one-sided. She’s portrayed as a caring mother and unfortunately, there isn’t enough character development showing her transformation, conflict, or emotions aside from protecting her son.
The movie depicts life during the Blitz as always involving terror and fighting, but it also demonstrates the notion of sweetness also existed. For instance, in one episode, there is a memorable scene in which a woman tries to give her friend’s legs a stocking-like appearance by drawing lines on them because stockings were scarce during the war. Such information contributes to the revelation of the struggles people faced daily rather than just the bombings. They show how people carried on living their lives in peculiar and innovative manners amid the wreckage.
Some subplots could have helped in enriching the movie but seem underexplored. For example, George temporarily becomes a part of a gang of children headed by Albert (Stephen Graham) who steal things from houses in the bombed areas. This portion of the movie appears to be rather dark and is reminiscent of the novels of Charles Dickens as George moves through this treacherous setting. Nevertheless, the concept of the gang is introduced and discarded within a few episodes as the premise does not remain a significant factor in the series. Also, another character, a soldier named Jack, who seems to have a crush on Rita, is given limited screen time, thus rendering his character as unimportant.
The picture “Blitz” looks bright and filled with powerful acting; Saoirse Ronan in the role of Rita deserves special attention. The viewers can see that the war is not only the terrifying moments on the battlefield but also the dissatisfaction of everyday life at home. Although it deals with strong emotions and has some great scenes, the film is quite aimless at times. Although it touches upon concepts of family, strength, and prejudice, those elements are not developed enough. Overall, it is a mood-driven movie rather than a character-driven one, which means that some potential is not fully realized.
The premise of “Blitz” is a dark period in British history, however, this drama does not provoke intense emotions due to underdeveloped characters and their narratives. Nevertheless, one is afforded some views on the difficulties of the period and the end product is a tear-jerker of a film, even if it is a flawed one, regarding the struggles of surviving a war.
Blitz 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Blitz is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) For language throughout and some drug use.
Violence and Gore: The movie features several dramatic sequences regarding the strategic bombings during the war; these are portrayed through events like bombings, air raids, as well as the use of sirens. Though there are no excruciating wounds in the movie, the setting of the continuous bombing can be the cause of discomfort and fear for some of the viewers.
There is an episode where a character named George is harassed on a train. The bullying is mostly direct as it entails name calling and other similar forms of threats which if not controlled can drain a lot of emotional strength.
An exciting scene is when George decides to jump off a moving train which is a very crazy and daring act, in his desperate search for his mother. Younger viewers may find this moment distressing because the scene depicts an apparent risk.
Sexual Content and Romantic Themes: Minimal romantic content. Rita’s interactions with a soldier named Jack, who appears to be interested in her as well, are kept rather low-key and do not result in a love interest.
There is sex without naked human bodies, and such moments are only suggested by looks and small touches.
Language: Language is primarily moderate, but there are some cases of insults and offensive remarks based on the racism.
Depending on whether the story is historical, there might also be period-specific British slang or phrases that might signify irritation or sorrow.
Alcohol, Drugs, and Smoking: Some incidences of smoking are observed throughout the movie and this is in line with characters that were in the World War II period. These scenes are rare and are used to set the context of the story.
