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London Film Festival (LFF) 2024 Opening Gala: Steve McQueen’s bold film about war and family and togetherness…(review+)

London Film Festival (LFF) 2024 Opening Gala: Steve McQueen’s bold film about war and family and togetherness…(review+)

London-born Oscar-winning director dedicates film to capital city that was bombed heavily in 1940…

LAST NIGHT’S opening film of the 68th London Film Festival was a special moment for Oscar winning director Steve McQueen.
“There’s no better place to screen this film than here,” he said at the press conference referring to his film, ‘Blitz’ which is set in war-torn London and the early part of the six-year World War II in 1940.
It was something of a solid and starry opening with several leading members of the cast in attendance at the Opening Gala Film at the Royal Festival on London’s Southbank.
At the press conference, McQueen was joined by the debut child actor Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, and Stephan Graham who commended both Heffernan and McQueen for tackling the subject of the Second World War as seen through the eyes of a mixed race black child.
Heffernen plays George whose black father is no more and is brought up by his mother (Ronan) and the impressive Paul Weller as his grandad.
Benjamin Clementine was the other actor present at the press conference yesterday. He plays a Nigerian Home Guard officer who befriends the young George and understands him better than most. Clementine said the role was based on a real person at that time whose studies to be a lawyer were interrupted by the war.

Steve McQueen, Paul Weller, Elliott Heffernan, Saoirse Ronan, CJ Beckford, Stephen Graham and press conference with Benjamin Clementine and Graham right and far right in smaller inset pictures Main picture Courtesy: ©GettyImages/LFF2024 inset pictures:©BigTalentMedia

Stark, beautiful and timely…

Blitz – Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and son George (Elliott Heffernen)

SHOT with all the intensity and skill you would expect of an auteur like Steve McQueen, this is very much a war film to add to the canon.
We follow the Blitz through the eyes of George whose particular circumstances and origin we only come to know better through the course of the film. It is very much a family tale too and while seee the world as George sees it, his mother and grandfather are important figures in this narrative.
There are many flashback scenes including one where Rita (Saoirse) meets the love of her life Marcus (CJ Beckford) – George’s father; there are a few other pivotal other flashback scenes, if you find these a little irksome, you might find this film not the smoothest experience.
And yet, McQueen essentially is providing us with a new and rich(er) narrative behind the successful war effort.
He places Rita in a London factory where it is the women making the munitions and places her among a trio of women colleagues and friends who have independence and agency and like their new status.
It is true that not much is made of the women who undoubtedly helped Britain and the Allies win the war against the Nazis.
In a similar vein, McQueen has a few black and Asian and people of colour characters through the film – watch any other British ‘war’ film and you be hard pressed to find any reference to the Jewish community – McQueen portrays the role of Mickey Davies (Leigh Gill) who campaigns for better conditions in the tube shelters and argues that everyone has a duty to fight the Nazis – and have a decent society.
You can see what McQueen is doing – he is creating another narrative that has been marginalised, forgotten or discarded – the women, working class and Jewish people all came together and there was solidarity and moral purpose in combatting Nazism.
This is all commendable but what really has power – is George and his bid to survive.
Let’s say not everything goes to plan when his mother reluctantly agrees George can be evacuated like many other children – to the north, where life was safer.
It’s an adventure filled with danger and terror but George meets the challenges and even overcomes a gang of roaming thieves led by Albert (Stephen Graham).
Technically brilliant – the war scenes of explosions and death are not for the feint hearted… but imbue the film with a sense of realism and horror.
This is a wonderful film in many ways but there is a nagging suspicion that McQueen has long wanted to do a war film and this is his unique and telling contribution to the genre.
ACV rating: *** ½ (out of five)

Listings

Blitz screens tomorrow (Friday, October 11) at the Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX and next week on Friday October 18 at the Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon St London W1J 7TY

Both screenings are currently showing as sold out
Click here

But check here at 10am tomorrow (Friday October 11)
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=ticket-availability

‘Blitz’ releases in the UK on November 1 and then on Apple TV+ on November 22

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Written by Asian Culture Vulture