Blitz: Examining Missed Opportunities in a Wartime Tale
In the streaming movie “Blitz,” director Steve McQueen takes a different approach to portraying World War II. The storyline centers around Rita and her son, Ife, facing the horrors of the Blitz in London. In an attempt to protect him, Rita sends Ife away, but he decides to return to find his mother. While the narrative is engaging, it leaves out significant aspects of the wartime experience, like rationing, queuing, and the black humor that sustained spirits during the war.
As someone who lived through the war, I found the film to be accurate in some depictions of daily life during wartime. The drab clothing, blackout rules, and air raid shelters were portrayed realistically. However, the film missed key elements like food and clothing rationing, constant queuing, and the strong sense of camaraderie among Londoners. It’s disappointing that such a monumental event as the Blitz is relegated to background scenery. While the movie is entertaining, it falls short of being a significant account of the toll war takes on innocent people.
Writer-director Steve McQueen, known for “12 Years a Slave,” delivers a story with the Blitz as a backdrop, but misses an opportunity to delve deeper into the wartime experience. While “Blitz” is engaging, it lacks the depth and authenticity that one might expect from a film set in war-torn Britain in 1940. It serves as a reminder of missed opportunities to portray the true hardships and resilience of those who lived through the Blitz.
