This article contains spoilers for Blitz.
The absence of George’s father and the mystery behind it are felt everywhere. Blitztalking about the child’s state of displacement in the world they inhabit. Steve McQueen’s film follows a biracial boy’s journey through a 1940s United Kingdom at the mercy not only of the Second World War blitz but also of palpable racism. As city children are sent to the countryside for protection, the Blitz character goes on a solo journey back to his mother and grandfather. Overcoming bombings, disasters and thieves, comments for Blitz confirm that George’s biggest battle is the one within himself.
Put BlitzIn George’s ending, George has reclaimed his story and gained a sense of identity that was taken from him at birth. Through important flashbacks, McQueen reveals a second narrative that tells the difficulties of a black boy in a white family. Mixing the point of view of a nine-year-old child with that of his mother, Blitz answers its urgent mysteries in subtle, non-linear fragments. One of the most revealing discoveries is that what happened to George’s fatheras the incident continues to provide parallels between racism and war.
George’s father was deported in the Blitz
Rita’s point of view reveals Michael’s dark fate in the Blitz
After saying goodbye to George at the train station, a grief-stricken Rita (Saoirse Ronan) struggles to deal with the uncertainty of their separation. More than war, she fears what will happen to her son and whether this could repeat her father’s fate. One of her memories reveals that, one night, after going out dancing, a group of men harassed a pregnant Rita and her partner outside a bar. While Michael defended himself from the aggressive men, a group of police officers found him the only culprit and arrested him.
George gives voice to the outcome of the event when he speaks to Ife. He tells the officer friend that his father was from Granada and his grandfather said he was deported. While George’s perspective is at the forefront of the film, his mother’s experience is equally important to fully understanding the character’s true journey in World War II. Blitz. Mother of a black boy and former partner of a black man, Rita’s character has a unique vision, which words cannot express, but which emanates deep pain.
Rita’s continued fear for her son echoes the ambiguity of her father’s end. His view of the incident paves the way for a second interpretation of Michael’s disappearancestrongly suggesting that he did not survive the night. The last image of the condemned character is him being led into the darkness by the police, suggesting a murder that was hidden and went unpunished. Notably, Rita refers to Michael for what he was, not what he still is.
Did George ever meet his father before the events of the Blitz?
George grew up with no connection to his black ancestry in the Blitz
George’s distancing from his identity throughout Blitz responds to his family’s reluctance to deal with the circumstances surrounding his father’s absence. Without a doubt, Rita kept her son away from other black connections to keep him safe. However, without this important reference, George had no way to navigate his black heritage, resulting in his denial. Upon meeting Ife, the boy quickly states that he is not black, but his father was – demonstrating his confusion about what it means to have a black father.
As Michael was taken before his son was bornGeorge did not have the chance to recognize himself in his father’s appearance. The young man carries the mystery behind who his father was and what led to his family’s separation, as he learns to navigate as a young black man in war-torn Britain. BlitzGeorge’s true inspiration informs George’s return home, not just to his mother, but to himself. Upon gaining a model in Ife, the Blitz The protagonist is proud of his identity and embraces his black ancestry, honoring his origin and understanding what it represents.