PG-13 | 2h | Drama, War, History | 2024

Over the space of 16 years, the British-born Steve McQueen has written and directed just five features and all of them are well worth your time. I consider the first four to be excellent and wanted to feel the same way about his new World War II drama, “Blitz.” But I don’t. Despite being McQueen’s least impressive feature to date, “Blitz” is still better than 95 percent of all recently made movies.

Never one to repeat himself, McQueen’s résumé covers a lot of ground. “Hunger” (2008) deals with the Irish hunger strike of 1981, “Shame” (2011) is a psychological thriller about addiction, the three-time Oscar winner (including Best Picture) “12 Years a Slave” (2013) is an unqualified masterpiece, and “Widows” (2018) is one of the best heist films of this century.

Another period piece, “Blitz” is a fictional story based on the 1940 German “blitzkrieg” (meaning: “rapid attack”) of Great Britain. During this time, over one million British citizens (over half of them children) were relocated to safer surroundings, and it saved thousands of lives.

Hard Parting

Clearly emotionally torn, single mother and factory worker Rita (Saoirse Ronan) reluctantly chooses to send her school-age only son, George (Elliott Heffernan, in an impressive breakthrough performance), to one such safer facility. Supported in this decision by her widowed father, Gerald (1980s rock star-turned-actor Paul Weller), Rita tearfully takes George to a train station. But in an act of petulant defiance, he coldly ignores her as the train departs.

It’s hard not to feel for George. He never knew his deceased father and he has few friends (not by choice). Rita and Gerald are all he has, and he’s not going to accept this new situation gracefully. After being picked on for his mixed-race heritage, he shuts up a few tormenters by using sage advice from Gerald. He then jumps off the moving train going to who-knows-where and begins heading home on foot.

With the first act complete, McQueen uses the remainder of the movie as a quasi-retelling of Homer’s “The Odyssey.” During his uncertain voyage, George comes into contact with a number of people and groups. Some appear to have his best interests in mind; others blatantly force him into doing their opportunistic and shady bidding.

Uneven Timeline

McQueen goes back and forth in perspective between George and Rita, who serves as the siren. It’s here where Rita and others sing a handful of songs that relate to home, family, and separation. My biggest issue in the movie is that it takes place over a single 24-hour period, yet the presentation suggests multiple days or even weeks. The back and forth never quite jives.

Although not technically a musical, parts of the movie contain elements of that genre. There is singing and there is dancing, but the twain only meet just once during an extended nightclub scene that never fully meets the definition of “musical.”

For me, a musical is a movie or play with a series of carefully constructed numbers wherein people, usually for no reason whatsoever, break into song and dance. Lyrics replace dialogue in order to propel the plot. That never happens here.

Where McQueen miscalculates is with a handful of repeated fantasy sequences that slightly drift into navel-gazing and art-house noodling. Images of dropping bombs, fields of daisies, and rippling waves eventually land only because of sheer repetition.

I credit McQueen for swinging for the fences here. Even with just four previous features, he’s established such a tremendous track record that he’s more than earned the right to throw caution to the wind and take a few creative chances.

Kubrick and Anderson

“Blitz” is for McQueen what “Barry Lyndon” was for Stanley Kubrick and “The Master” was for Paul Thomas Anderson. All three of these movies show filmmakers stretching beyond their usual comfort zones and trying something different. That is the sign of true daring and artistry.

One trait that McQueen, Kubrick, and Anderson also share is that they all work at a snail’s pace. Whether intended or not, it shows that each took their time in selecting and crafting their projects. Because of their previous success, they had the rare luxury of going out on a limb regardless of the commercial viability of what they were to do next.

I don’t view “Blitz” as a failure, but rather as a movie that didn’t quite hit on all cylinders. If only for the stupendous performance of Heffernan, it should be regarded as an interesting war movie seen through the eyes of a child. From that perspective alone, it deserves attention.

The film is now playing in theaters nationwide and begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Nov. 22.

‘Blitz’ Director: Steve McQueen Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Paul Weller, Benjamin Clementine, Harris Dickinson Running Time: 2 hours MPAA Rating: PG-13 Release Date: Nov. 1, 2024 (limited) Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

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