When opportunity knocked, cinematographer Yorick Le Saux, AFC couldn’t answer in the affirmative–though he desperately wanted to. Scheduling conflicts forced him to turn down overtures from director Steve McQueen on a couple of occasions–the first being for a commercial, followed several years later by a query as to the DP’s availability for what turned out to be the acclaimed Small Axe anthology.
Thankfully, though, the third time proved to be the charm as McQueen once again reached out to Le Saux and the two wound up collaborating together on Blitz (Apple Original Films). McQueen, a Best Picture Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave, wrote and directed Blitz, which makes its streaming debut today (11/22) on Apple TV+ after a wide theatrical release. Blitz, short for the Germans’ blitzkrieg bombing of London during World War II, is told largely through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy, George (portrayed by Elliott Heffernan), whose single mom, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), had made the heartaching decision to send him to the countryside with thousands of other schoolchildren to flee the devastating aerial attacks. The prospect of being separated from his mother and grandfather is traumatic for George who at his young age has also felt the sting of prejudice, having been ridiculed about his mixed-race heritage.
Le Saux shared that going into Blitz, his only connection to World War II was what he heard about it from his parents and grandparents. But he was eager to work with McQueen and found that upon delving deeper into the subject matter he felt a profound bond to the story, which carries relevance to today. Le Saux said this gave him a sense of purpose to help realize the writer-director’s vision for the film.
Le Saux found himself to be creatively and philosophically simpatico with McQueen on varied fronts, including the shared need to make the film as real as possible, tapping into actual locations and keeping any reliance on VFX and green screen to a minimum. Capturing as much in-camera was paramount. And what Le Saux wanted to capture required a delicate balance.
On one hand, there’s death, explosions rocking the city, widespread destruction and terror. The bombings came at night on a city otherwise enshrouded in darkness. Blackouts were mandatory so that targets could not be visible from German planes in flight. At the same time, light figuratively had to be cast through the eyes of a youngster, reflecting the spectacle of war as well as the intimacy of how it impacted people and families, including his mother and grandfather.
Le Saux went with the ARRI Alexa 35, in tandem with Panavision C Series lenses, for Blitz. For one, the digital camera’s sensor facilitates shooting in dark settings. Plus lensing a child means you always must be ready for a take; you can’t be reloading a film camera. The digital technology enabled Le Saux to follow the character of George continually, and just as importantly lens the lad in a way so that at times he wasn’t that conscious about or preoccupied with being on camera.
Le Saux found McQueen’s research and prep invigorating. “Steve brings all these charming, intelligent possibilities, a freedom informed by research. His prep is super interesting and warm,” said Le Saux, adding that McQueen connects with his collaborators, acts as a springboard for thought and elicits ideas and contributions that help advance the story. Prep proved invaluable, noted Le Saux, and was “where we established our visual language for the film.”
McQueen provided Le Saux with meticulous research and historical context to do justice to the story. The DP recalled McQueen telling him of car accidents during the blitz bombings. Drivers were not allowed to use their automobile headlights due to the blackouts. Many people died from car crashes at night. A sense of such history served to inform Le Saux’s visual approach so that audiences could better feel the horror and trauma of what actually happened.
Le Saux added that McQueen connected with him “spiritually” not only during prep but throughout the shoot. “He brings you to where he wants to go, to not be afraid,” shared Le Saux. “He’s a magician. The way he organizes the prep is wonderful.”
Plus the perspective of a child brought a new energizing dynamic to the narrative. This helped heighten personal impact–felt by audiences and the cinematographer himself–as we experience the war through George’s point of view. And it also serves to heighten the story’s relevance to today.
“It got me to thinking about Palestinian kids, Israeli kids, Ukrainian kids, Russian kids,” said Le Saux, adding that filming George was a catalyst for thoughts and feelings about children today and what’s happening to them in the throes of war and conflict. With the insanity of war, Le Saux fears that we are “building a generation of traumatized kids.”
Blitz adds to a filmography for Le Saux which includes I Am Love directed by Luca Guadagnino, Little Women from director Greta Gerwig, Only Lovers Left Alive helmed by Jim Jarmusch, High Life directed by Claire Denis, and Personal Shopper from director Olivier Assayas. Le Saux has a track record of collaboration with Assayas, which continues with a movie they’ve now embarked on–The Wizard of the Kremlin starring Jude Law.
This is the fourth installment of our weekly 16-part The Road To Oscar Series of feature stories. Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on Friday, January 17, 2025. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
