The upcoming film by Steve McQueen titled “Blitz” has received more interest off the big screen than on it following the hush surrounding the movie's string of appearance in festivals. ‘Blitz,' directed by the talented McQueen, I say has not been presented at the Venice Film Festival or Telluride. While these two prominent autumn holidays are approaching, this decision has raised certain expectations and questions, and some insiders suggest that ‘something is wrong' with the movie.
Perennially, both Venice and Telluride are vital platforms for kick-starting award contenders. The last date for submission of movies for Venice is June 13 and though it is not rare for festivals to allow more time to well-known directors, no such extension looks likely this year for McQueen . Telluride, which is equally interested in presenting “Blitz”, also seems to be in a state of limbo.
If “Blitz” should somehow avoid these esteemed festivals, then there are still opportunities at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) or the London/BFI Film Festival. However, the most intriguing question remains: what need was there to hide the movie? In this connection, stills or a trailer have not been released to the public up to this moment. Since Apple has been involved in this film, there are a lot of assumptions regarding their release plans.
To those followers of Steve McQueen's persona, there are times when the lack of information is almost loud. Having previously produced “12 Years a Slave” and “Shame”, two movies with strong narratives and a powerful display of images, McQueen has set a high bar for “Blitz. “Just making sure that the people out there know that said picture actually exists” will definitely do much to assuage some of these growing worries and ramp up the anticipation even more.
Ideally, Apple generates excitement with a trailer or some raw scenes to give a glimpse of what McQueen has in store for his latest offering. Instead, both fans and critics have to be on the edge of their seats waiting for new material.
With “Blitz's” exact release date shrouded in mystery, one thing remains clear: The cinematic community is waiting for the break from McQueen's camp and anything they do will be placed under the metaphorical lens. One can only hope that the built up wait is for the best, and the element of surprise does not disappoint.
