October 10th 2024.
In a recent interview, Saoirse Ronan shared her experience in playing the role of a mother in the film Blitz, directed by Sir Steve McQueen. The Hollywood star, known for bringing to life iconic literary and cinematic daughters, was now taking on the challenging role of a fictional mother, a first for her.
In Blitz, set during World War Two in London, Ronan's character Rita is a young mother to her nine-year-old son George. After her husband is deported, Rita is left to raise her son with the help of her father. When the bombings in London become too dangerous, George is evacuated to the countryside. However, the bond between mother and son is unbreakable, and George escapes to find his mother, leading to a heartwarming and emotional reunion.
Ronan, who has been in the industry since she was a child, drew inspiration from the female actors she had worked with in the past who had a natural maternal instinct. She wanted her portrayal of Rita to feel authentic and real, unlike the forced and fake mothers she had seen on film sets before.
"I always vowed to never do that whenever I played a mother. I wanted it to feel real. I wanted it to represent my mother and the women I know in my life who are incredibly wonderful people," Ronan shared.
She approached the character of Rita like any other character she would play, taking inspiration from a quote by actor Peter Mullan, "Just because you are playing a king doesn't mean you need to play a king. He's still got to put his clothes on in the morning like anyone else would."
To prepare for the role, Ronan also spoke to mothers she knew in her life, curious about their experiences and relationships with their children. She also worked closely with her co-star Elliot, who played her on-screen son George, to find the perfect chemistry and dynamics between their characters.
The director, Sir Steve McQueen, was also inspired by their natural bond and incorporated it into the film. "He was inspired by our natural dynamics and relationships that were forming when we got to know each other, and what naturally came out for the two of us was friendship," Ronan shared.
The Irish actor also wanted to acknowledge the fact that Rita was a young mother and did not want to lose the youth of her character. Together, with the director and her co-star, they delved into the background of Rita's character and the loss she had gone through, which shaped her into the strong and loving mother she was.
Ronan also admitted that working with a young actor like Elliot re-sparked the joy and love she had for her job, which can sometimes feel jaded in the high-intensity industry. "When someone young comes in, and it's their first job, they remind you of why you did this in the first place. They remind you of all the love that you have for it and why it's such an incredible job to have," she shared.
The film received critical acclaim, with many praising Ronan's performance as one of her generation's greatest talents. For the director, the seed for this film was planted during his time as a war artist in the Iraq War, where he felt a sense of nationality and camaraderie among British troops from different backgrounds.
"I thought about 1940s Britain, what was happening in my city London. And then, of course, I found this photograph of a small black child on a railway station in a large coat and oversized briefcase being evacuated, and I thought, 'who is that child? I want to see the war through his eyes,'" Sir Steve shared.
The film resonates with a modern-day audience, with the parallels between the hardships faced by families during World War Two and those in war zones across the world today, playing out daily in the news.
Ronan added that the motivation to continue with the film came from the real-life situations happening in the world, saying, "You'd put on the news, and you'd see exactly the same thing. So it was the first time I'd ever had an experience on a project where there wasn't really an escape from it."
With Ronan's powerful performance, the heartwarming bond between mother and son, and the overall message of hope and resilience, "Blitz" is a must-see film for all audiences. It will be released in cinemas on November 1st and will be streaming on Apple TV+ on November 22nd.
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