Saoirse Ronan’s Second World War drama opens the London Film Festival

Actress Saoirse Ronan said filming her new World War II film felt “incredibly relevant” against the backdrop of conflicts around the world.

“Blitz,” directed by Sir Steve McQueen, was mostly filmed in early 2023, about a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ahead of the world premiere in London, Ronan told journalists: “You shoot certain scenes where there is total chaos and mayhem and we portray characters in complete fear and terror.”

“And then you would leave the set, turn on the radio and hear the exact same thing, or turn on the news and see the exact same thing.”

She continued: “It was the first time I had this experience on a project where there was no real way out.”

“I don’t know if it’s insensitive to say I was grateful for it, but it gave you so much motivation to keep going with the picture because it feels incredibly relevant.”

The film kicked off this year’s London Film Festival on Wednesday night and saw Ronan hit the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall alongside her co-stars, including Stephen Graham, Paul Weller and Benjamin Clementine.

“Blitz” is one of the few contenders for next year’s film awards season that hasn’t already screened at a previous festival – which is why experts haven’t been able to assess its Oscar chances.

But Sir Steve wanted the film to have its world premiere in London because it tells a uniquely British story.

“I’m from London and have been very fortunate to have my films debut in Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Toronto [film festivals]” said the director.

“But for this particular film, there was no other place I wanted to premiere this film than London, and I had my fingers crossed that that could happen.”

Blitz follows a working-class London family as the British capital is bombed during World War II.

The story is told from the perspective of George, a nine-year-old mixed-race boy played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan, one of about a million children driven from major cities during the Blitz to live in the countryside for their children’s safety .

However, George is determined not to leave his mother and grandfather behind in London and jumps off the train on the way out of the city to pursue his own adventure.

His mother, played by Ronan, is worried sick as she waits for news from the authorities trying to find him.

Several critics have given Blitz rave reviews. Awarding the film five stars, described the Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey described it as “a monumental achievement in British cinema”.

The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin also gave it five stars, He said that the film “ranks among the greatest war films of all time.” said William Bibbiani of the Wrap it is “a great film in every respect… a masterpiece”.

Blitz is “not McQueen’s best film” Said Evening Standard’s Nick Curtis: “But it’s miles ahead of the war lard like Darkest Hour.”

However, offered the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw only three stars and said he hoped for “a more radical shock… or a more striking authorial challenge.”

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman said of the film was “well directed, well acted and had a creamy wartime luxury sheen”.

“But,” he continued, “this is, above all, the war diary as an inspirational crowd-pleaser. It is also a passionately traditional message film about race and tolerance.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Leslie Felperin suggested The story and characters could have been given “more room to breathe”, adding: “The drama too often lacks the subtlety that characterizes it.” [Sir Steve’s] Work at its best.”

Sir Steve is best known for directing Widows, Shame and 12 Years A Slave, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2014.

Speaking on Wednesday about his inspiration for the new film, the director said he came across a photo that intrigued him while working on his 2020 TV series Small Ax.

“I found a photo of a small black child with an oversized briefcase at a train station. And I thought: Who is this child? I want to see the war through his eyes.”

Actor Graham noted that the film takes a slightly different perspective than many other films set in World War II, in part because the main character is a mixed-race child.

“As a child I was used to watching these wonderful black and white films with my grandma – ‘Cor blimey, guv’na, let’s get through the war,'” Graham joked, adopting an exaggerated Cockney accent.

“We grew up with these films and they were beautiful films, but I’ve never seen this vision that Steve brought to the screen, this perspective… a mixed-race child in a war film set in the Blitz.”

But when asked if he saw the film as an opportunity to correct the traditional view of The Flash, Sir Steve replied: “I’m not interested in correcting anything. I’m not a reactionary. I am an artist.”

“I love working on things that mean something to me,” he continued. “What interested me about the idea of ​​this landscape was that it was about a working-class family. This was both a family drama and a historical epic.”

Ronan’s character, Rita, is one of millions of women who have moved into jobs previously held by men who had gone off to fight.

“I’m sure they were the central power in their home and took Rita, for example, as someone who had a child to look after, a father to care for, and who stepped into the role of men when she “It was incredibly stressful for these young women who were in their 20s and so much was expected of them.”

“Blitz” hits theaters November 1 and streams on Apple TV+ later this month.

It’s one of two films starring Ronan that could be in the running this upcoming awards season.

She will be up for best supporting actress for “Blitz” and best actress for “The Outrun,” in which she plays an alcoholic who returns to her family in the Orkney Islands.