In Remembrance Month, Steve McQueen’s latest film Blitz continues his exploration of forgotten histories within the UK Black community. Following his previous anthology series about the Caribbean diaspora from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, Blitz shifts its focus to the overlooked experiences of Black people living in the UK during the devastating 1940-1 Nazi bombing campaign.
The Blitz holds a mystical place in the British collective memory. It symbolizes a time of defiance, when Britain endured eight months of German bombing and was said to embody the famed "Blitz spirit." This period, marked by Britain standing alone after the fall of France, is mythologised as a symbol of resilience. However, the reality is more complex. In recent years, historians have begun to shed light on the critical role that Britain’s colonies played in the war effort. West Indian volunteers, who had witnessed the rise of fascism in Europe and racial segregation in Ethiopia after its invasion by Italy in 1935, were determined to fight against Hitler, fearing a Nazi victory would reintroduce slavery in the Caribbean. Alongside them, over 2.5 million Indians and more than 500,000 Africans were forcibly conscripted to serve on various fronts during World War II, including at Dunkirk.
McQueen’s Blitz offers a different perspective by portraying the lives of Black Britons during the Blitz, moving beyond the myths and clichés. The film follows nine-year-old George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan) on a harrowing journey through bombed-out London in search of his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan). His journey offers a stark portrayal of the devastation and humanity experienced by Londoners during this dark period.
Although McQueen’s film aims for historical accuracy, he does not see it as a direct attempt to "correct" the historical record. "I'm not interested in correcting anything," McQueen said at the London Film Festival. "I'm an artist, and I love to work on things that mean something to me. This film is about a working-class family, a family drama set against the backdrop of a historical epic."
At the same festival, McQueen shared the inspiration behind Blitz, explaining that he first thought about the Blitz in the early 2000s. His interest was piqued when he discovered a photograph of a young Black boy with a suitcase standing on a train platform, an image that lingered in his mind. McQueen’s experience as the official War Artist for the UK during the Iraq War, along with his research for his anthology film series Small Axe, led him to further explore London’s wartime diversity, particularly the experiences of Black, Jewish, and Chinese communities during the Blitz.
Before its theatrical release, there was a small but vocal opposition to the film, especially on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where McQueen’s movie was labelled as fabricated ‘woke’ nonsense. Detractors were unwilling to believe that George’s story, or the experiences of those he meets on his adventure, could be true. This reaction highlights the challenge McQueen faces in presenting a more inclusive and complex portrayal of Britain’s wartime history, one that includes the often-forgotten roles of Black and mixed-race individuals.
In Blitz, George’s story intertwines with the lives of several historical figures, including Ife, a Nigerian air-raid warden based on the real-life Ita Ekpenyon, a Nigerian lawyer who moved to the UK in the 1920s. Ekpenyon was later recruited as an air-raid warden and faced xenophobia while performing his duties in bomb shelters, a story previously highlighted in the 2021 BBC documentary Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley.
The film also dramatizes the 1941 bombing of the Café de Paris in Leicester Square, where 34 people died, including British-Guyanese bandleader Ken "Snakehips" Johnson and close friend of Ivor Cummings. This tragic event highlights a lesser-known aspect of the Blitz: the looting of bodies after some bombings. Johnson’s death, as well as that of his bandmates, is brought to life in McQueen’s film, which sheds light on the Black musicians who contributed to the UK’s wartime culture.
Blitz also features a diverse cast of characters, including Doris, a mixed-race Black woman working in an armament factory alongside Rita, and UK singer Celeste, who portrays a nightclub singer in the style of British artist Evelyn Dove. These characters highlight the often-overlooked contributions of mixed-race Black women to the British war effort, such as Lillian Baden and Amelia King, who served in the Women’s Land Army during the war.
The film draws attention to the real experiences of mixed-race Black evacuees during the war, including Paul Stephenson, leader of the Bristol Bus Boycott, who was evacuated at the age of three. In his autobiography Memoirs of a Black English Man, Stephenson recalls being evacuated to a care home in Great Dunmow with seven white children. He formed lifelong friendships and cherished his time in the countryside, a reflection of the often-forgotten history of mixed-race Black evacuees. An excellent article on The Mixed Museum website further explores the experiences of mixed-race Black evacuees, highlighting figures like young sisters Stephanie and Constance Anita, who were evacuated from London to Stanion, Northamptonshire, and Marie Kamara, an eight-year-old mixed-race Black girl evacuated from East London to Winchester. These stories are rarely told but form a significant part of Britain’s wartime history.
In focusing on the forgotten stories of individuals who were often sidelined in post-war narratives, Blitz cuts through decades of nostalgia and brings the human experience of the Blitz to life. The film reveals the diverse and vital roles played by these communities during a time of national crisis, offering a more nuanced and inclusive perspective on Britain’s wartime history.
Blitz was released in selected cinemas in the US and UK on 1 November 2024 and began streaming on Apple TV+ on 22 November 2024.
Photo Credits:
1. Elliott Heffernan in Blitz. Source: Apple TV+.
2. Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan in Blitz. Source: Apple TV+.
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