The History Behind Steve McQueen’s World War II Drama Blitz

As a film enthusiast with a deep-rooted passion for historical accuracy, I must say that Steve McQueen’s ‘Blitz Spirit’ has truly captured the essence of an era long past. Having studied World War II extensively and having visited the sites where these events unfolded, I can attest to the authenticity portrayed in this film.

Over eight decades since the Blitz, a prolonged bombing campaign by Nazi Germany on Britain from 1940 to 1941, Steve McQueen’s award-winning film titled “Blitz” set to hit cinemas on Nov 1 and Apple TV+ on Nov 22, seeks to portray the everyday life in the nation during that turbulent era.

The movie opens by showing Rita (played by Saoirse Ronan), who works in a factory in London and is a single mom, facing the heart-wrenching choice of sending her son George (Elliott Heffernan) away to the countryside for safety due to bombings. Enraged, George escapes from the train and spends the remainder of the film trying to reunite with his mother. The movie is filled with emotional moments as it delves into Rita’s past romance with George’s father and their sad parting.

As I, a follower, delve into the world of Josh Levine, author of The Secret History of the Blitz and a consultant for the film, I chat with TIME about the challenges that arose during the Blitz and the scenes inspired by actual individuals and events.

The Blitz, explained

From September 7, 1940, to May 11, 1941, the German air force carried out relentless bombings on London, resulting in approximately 43,500 deaths and leaving countless others homeless. This prolonged aerial assault is now infamously known as “The Blitz.

During World War II, it was primarily London that endured the majority of German air raids, as they focused on strategic locations such as industrial hubs, munitions factories, and ports. Iconic landmarks like Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and the Tower of London were among those damaged during these relentless bombings, known as the Blitz. In fact, some entire neighborhoods had to be reconstructed following the devastation.

The Germans aimed to “reduce the populace to such a state of despair and distress, both mentally and physically, that they would insist upon their government negotiating a truce.” However, as Levine explains, this strategy ultimately failed.

The Blitz concluded as the Germans shifted their attention towards the Soviet Union, marking the end of World War II in Europe when Nazi Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.

How children were evacuated during the Blitz

The History Behind Steve McQueen’s World War II Drama Blitz

George, the child protagonist in the movie who flees the city during the Blitz, isn’t modeled after any specific individual. McQueen drew inspiration for this character from a powerful image he encountered – it was a photograph of a young, biracial person from the era of the Blitz – which can be found at the Imperial War Museum.

In the movie, George’s tale is based on the true accounts of over a million children who were sent away from cities during World War II, particularly during the Blitz. Families were compensated to provide shelter for these urban children. Levine’s father was among these evacuees, recalling his journey on a train to the countryside and seeking temporary accommodation. Often, foster parents preferred to take in girls because they believed them to be less problematic.

In a swift manner, without proper screening of the families involved, there were numerous instances where children felt overwhelming joy and desired to remain with their families, while some families expressed eagerness to adopt the children. However, Levine also shared heartbreaking tales of families who showed no concern or, even worse, acted abusively. In essence, the situation was a complex tapestry of both positive and negative experiences.

In the same manner as depicted in the movie where George escapes from a train, it’s true that some actual child evacuees fled their temporary guardians. As Levine discovered, there were instances of children who were so unhappy that they chose to leave. One such story involves a boy who sought refuge at his grandmother’s house because he feared being returned to his parents if he went back. Remarkably, the grandmother allowed the young lad to remain with her.

Robberies during the Blitz

Cities turned off their lights as a strategy, making it difficult for the German Air Force to locate targets at night.

At some stage in the film, George encounters a mysterious gathering in a billiard room where they’re tallying the items they’ve taken during power outages.

Crime flourished significantly during the Blitz, as Levine vividly portrayed London as a haven for criminals under such conditions. With minimal lighting and numerous destroyed homes revealing the belongings of their former occupants scattered throughout the streets, it’s no surprise that opportunists seized the moment.

An illustrative instance is the plundering following the bombing of Café de Paris nightclub in March 1941. Tragically, at least 34 lives were lost, among them Ken “Snakehips” Johnson, portrayed by Devon McKenzie-Smith in the movie. Unscrupulous individuals flocked to the area to sever victims’ fingers for a quick grab of their rings.

In an unusual turn of events during September 1940, some individuals who were emergency responders, such as members of the Auxiliary Fire Service, engaged in looting while attending to a fire near St. Paul’s Cathedral. Instead of focusing on their duties, they took advantage by grabbing clothing, bottles of whisky and gin, and even used their water buckets to transport these items.

Sheltering in the Tube during the Blitz

During the Blitz, it was common for London residents to find safety in the city’s underground subway systems as nightly bombings took place. At the close of each day, they would descend into the Tube and establish their own sheltered areas where they could spend the night.

In the film, the character operating a shelter within the Stepney tube station who has dwarfism is based on a real-life individual named Mickey Davies. Remarkably, he transformed this shelter into a prominent facility in London, complete with medical amenities, restrooms, and a food distribution system.

Nevertheless, the shelters were not entirely safe. The depiction of George fleeing a flooded tube station is based on an actual event that occurred at the Balham tube station on October 14, 1940. During this time, approximately 600 individuals were taking shelter in the station. As reported by the Imperial War Museum, at 8:02 PM, a bomb fell on the station, causing water, gas, and sewage pipes to burst. Tragically, many people drowned, with at least 68 confirmed fatalities.

In a movie, I find myself portrayed as Ife, an air warden, asking a fellow shelter-dweller to lower the curtain he’s hung up to avoid seeing the kind Sikh family next to us. This character is inspired by E.I. Ekpenyon, a real-life law student-turned-air warden. In the film, I speak out against those trying to impose segregation in our shelters, stating passionately, “I yearn for camaraderie and goodwill to flourish during these challenging times in the Empire’s history. I even cautioned my audience that if this spirit wasn’t embraced, I would suggest those who disagreed to find shelter elsewhere.

Indubitably, Levine contends that during World War II, a sense of unity he called the “Blitz spirit” emerged among Brits from various backgrounds. This was demonstrated through acts like joining hands to offer comfort as bombs fell, or the rich and poor working together to spot and put out small fires. Though the war ended over two decades ago, the filmmakers aim to inspire audiences to tap into this “Blitz spirit” and camaraderie whenever tough times arise.

2024-11-01 16:06