More than 80 years later, filmmakers continue to find innovative ways to explore different perspectives on World War II. Now, Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen tackles this harrowing subject through the eyes of a young child. “[The story]refocuses us,” McQueen said Saturday on Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, about the nuances of adults losing their childlike curiosity. “I always think about when my daughter was about 2 years old in the fall and she showed me a leaf.[The innocence of the gesture]refocused my attention on what was right. At what point did we stop listening? At what point did we become invisible?”
Blitz, an Apple Original Film written and directed by McQueen, follows the story of George (George), a 9-year-old boy who is sent to the safety of the English countryside by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) in London during World War II. It depicts the journey of Elliott Hefferman. George is rebellious and decides to return home to his mother and grandfather in East London and embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in untold danger as his distraught mother searches for her missing son. I notice that
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As the story revolves around the boy, McQueen continued: . When I saw a photo of this child who was scheduled to be evacuated during my research, I thought that seeing this photo through his eyes might help us rethink the story of World War II. This has been said many times, but I thought it could be conveyed more powerfully through the eyes of a child. ”
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To understand wartime customs and manners, Ronan had to work with a dialect coach to revitalize his now dwindling East London accent, also known as Cockney. “I feel like all actors who aren’t from London fall into that accent very easily,” the Irish actor said. “But working with a dialect coach, we quickly realized that there was a vintage sound that didn’t really exist anymore. That was actually a really great entry point into this character, because it was very much a working-class way of speaking. It was interesting, but they wanted it to look more put together and neat, so they added this effect to their sound as well. Women[back then]were always putting effort into their appearance, no matter what was going on in their daily lives. So it was a really helpful tool that I had throughout the shoot.”
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The presenting sponsor of this year’s Contenders Film is Los Angeles United for Business. Sponsors are Eyeptizer Eyewear, Final Draft + ScreenCraft, and partners are Four Seasons Maui, 11 Ravens, and Robina Benson Design House.
