‘Blitz' Reaction Hints at Well-Directed WWII Epic — A Mix of Spielberg and Malick

For whatever it’s worth, I spoke to someone who’s seen Steve McQueen’s “Blitz.” They’re telling me it’s a “good” movie.

The film, which clocks in at around 130 minutes, is both intimate and epic in scale, and recalls a slightly artsier version of Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” with hints of Malick.

In terms of locations and imagery, it’s an epic. But when it comes to the dialogue and character dynamics, it’s very naturalistic. It’s kind of a mix between “Paris, Texas” and, if you can believe it, “The Lord of the Rings”. When you see the film, I think you’ll know what I mean.

Given the “Empire of the Sun” comparison, the film is said to be “pretty straightforward”. It’s a “hero’s journey” of a 9-year-old boy (Elliott Heffernan) trying to get back home to his mother (Saoirse Ronan), while exploring Britain during WWII. The film is intercut with sequences of the mother, named Rita, searching for her son.

It’s not a very plot-centric movie. It’s very much “go to this location, meet this person, something happens where they are separated. On to the next person,” and while it could have been repetitive, I think the trials and tribulations explored in each segment really enhances the film’s main theme.

Saoirse Ronan could technically be campaigned as lead, but she gives more of a supporting turn. Ditto Harris Dickinson who is said to be quite good. However, newcomer Heffernan is the clear lead. Regardless, the person I spoke to doesn’t believe any of the acting will grab Oscar’s attention, it’s McQueen’s film as his “direction just overshadows the performances.”

The film’s PG-13 rating also impact’s McQueen’s intentions to show the full-fledged realities of the WWII. In that regard, it’s McQueen’s “most accessible” film, war seen through the eyes of a child.

It does occasionally go into Spielberg-ian crowd-pleasing territory, but that isn’t a bad thing, and it does come after a lot of heavy scenes. It definitely feels a bit held back by the [PG-13] rating.

As I had previously reported, “Blitz” is skipping Telluride, Venice and Toronto. Instead, it’s set to have its world premiere at the 68th BFI London Film Festival. Just over a month after its BFI London premiere, “Blitz” will release in select cinemas on November 1.

Based on what I’ve been hearing, Apple still has no theatrical distributor for this one, but it’s, strangely, going to be streaming, on Apple TV+, starting on November 22, just three weeks after its theatrical launch.