The curtain rose on the 68th edition of the BFI London Film Festival with a story as haunting as it is timely: Steve McQueen’s Blitz. Starring Saoirse Ronan, the wartime drama centers on the resilience of ordinary Londoners during one of history’s darkest chapters, while unflinchingly reflecting the conflicts still raging in the world today. As the cast gathered for the film’s press conference ahead of its world premiere, Ronan’s reflections on the movie’s themes took center stage, grounding her portrayal of a mother and a woman in wartime with modern resonance.
Blitz tells the story of young George (Elliot Heffernan), a boy sent to the countryside for safety by his mother, Rita (Ronan), during the bombings in London. Defiant and determined, George ventures back to East London on his own, only to face the real dangers of a city in wartime, while his distraught mother tries desperately to track him down. For Ronan, the role of Rita was not just a portrayal of a mother but a window into how World War II redefined women’s roles.
“I’m sure [it was] incredibly trying for these young women,” Ronan shared, reflecting on how the war thrust women into new roles typically occupied by men. “So much was expected of them.” But there was a flip side to that expectation—an empowering transformation. “We know how pivotal that moment was for us,” she said, acknowledging how the war irrevocably changed the role of women in society. Steve McQueen, sitting beside her, noted that far too often, war films limit women to passive roles—”handing someone a cup of tea”—but Blitz strives to portray the true depth of their contributions.
For Ronan, this was not a historical piece that stayed locked in the past. The experience of working on Blitz felt deeply entwined with the world outside, where modern conflicts were unfolding in real time. “There wasn’t really an escape,” she said candidly. “You’d put on the news and see exactly the same thing.” This collision of past and present gave her performance an added weight. “It was the first time I’d ever had an experience on a project where there wasn’t really an escape from it.” This sense of urgency, of the cyclical nature of conflict, was palpable throughout her portrayal of Rita, a mother caught between fear and resolve.
McQueen, too, felt this urgency permeate the project. “I feel there is an urgency to the film,” he said, speaking to how the narrative of war, loss, and survival never seems to lose its relevance. Despite being set in the 1940s, Blitz speaks to a timeless truth: war continues to be a brutal reality for many, a fact made painfully clear by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
While much of the film grapples with fear and destruction, McQueen was quick to highlight the thematic core of the movie: love. “Love is what will stop wars,” he said simply, believing that if love prevailed, humanity could finally avoid repeating its mistakes. For Ronan, that love was most evident in her on-screen relationship with Heffernan’s character, George. Although she’s played daughters in the past, this was one of her first major roles as a mother, and she approached it with an openness and curiosity. “It all felt very organic. Nothing felt too contrived,” she explained, describing her dynamic with Heffernan as one of friendship and mutual respect, which lent an authenticity to their portrayal.
But there’s no escaping the heavier themes of the film. “The thing that made this so real as a filming experience as well is that you shoot certain scenes where there’s total chaos and pandemonium, and we’re having to portray characters in abject fear and horror,” Ronan noted. This intensity was compounded by the reality she saw on the news. “You’d leave set, and you’d turn on the radio, and you’d hear exactly the same thing.” For Ronan, it was a harrowing experience, one that blurred the lines between art and reality, and left her grappling with the ongoing relevance of Blitz’s story.
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Perhaps that’s why Blitz feels more than just a historical film; it’s a mirror held up to today’s world. McQueen, never one to shy away from tough truths, emphasized that his goal wasn’t to correct past portrayals of war on-screen but to present a deeply human story. “I am not a reactionary. I am an artist,” he declared. For him, Blitz is about much more than war—it’s about humanity, survival, and the fragile line between chaos and compassion.
As the 68th BFI London Film festival (2024) opener, Blitz brings with it the weight of history but also an urgent message about the present. Ronan’s portrayal of Rita—fierce, vulnerable, and entirely relatable—serves as a reminder of the unshakable strength of women, both in the past and today. And in the face of wars that seem as inescapable now as they did in the 1940s, Blitz stands as a powerful testament to resilience, love, and the enduring human spirit.
Source: Interview published in The Hollywood Reporter
- Blitz premiered as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2024.
- Scheduled for release in select UK and US cinemas on November 1, 2024.
- Streaming release on Apple TV+ set for November 22, 2024.
