Steve McQueen on his second world war epic ‘Blitz’: ‘I just wanted to tell the truth’

His blockbuster shows wartime London in a new light — and might be his most personal film yet

Steve McQueen is touched by my concern. “Lord help us, you have to be frightened when a journalist is scared for you!” The idea makes him smile. And no, the acclaimed artist and filmmaker does not seem in obvious danger, sipping coffee in London’s Soho. He is here in good spirits with a new movie to discuss: Blitz, a portrait of the city wracked by the 1940-41 Nazi bombing campaign.

The film’s most unnerving sequence takes place in the splendid Café de Paris, where a 1941 bombing saw looters descend to steal jewellery from the dead. “I’m not trying to shame us. There was heroism everywhere in the Blitz, when Britain really was alone fighting Hitler. But this was war. And London was also home to poverty, and criminality.” McQueen says he had no agenda to destroy the myths lurking in the British self-image. “I never set out to discredit anything.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

FT /  🏆 113. in UK

United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

I lived through horrors of the Blitz – I thought I was going to die and saw my brother soaked in other p...Watch the trailer for Steve McQueen’s new film set in London during the blitz
Read more »

Blitz film review — bravura wartime epic from Steve McQueenThe director tells the story of bomb-struck London through the eyes of a family — and a child in particular
Read more »

London Film Festival: Steve McQueen's Blitz offers view of war 'through child's eyes'London's Film Festival is back, with Sir Steve McQueen's new film, Blitz, featuring for its opening gala this year. The film acts as a stark reminder of the horrors of war at a time of ongoing violence and destruction in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond.
Read more »

Blitz: Saoirse Ronan's World War Two drama launches London Film FestivalThe world premiere of Sir Steve McQueen's Blitz will open the London Film Festival on Wednesday.
Read more »

The Best Films to Watch at BFI London FIim Festival 2024A world-first screening of Steve McQueen’s Blitz and UK premieres for Queer, Hard Truths and Anora are among the picks at this year’s fest
Read more »

Netflix star & dad, 47, forced to have his skull REBUILT after brain cancer shockHollyoaks’ Mercedes McQueen reveals cancer battle in time jump episode
Read more »