Steve McQueen’s upcoming WWII drama “Blitz” is many things — a harrowing documentation of Germany’s bombardment of London, a child’s perspective on war, an eclectic portrait of a diverse community under terrible strain — and while it may not be a full-on musical, music does play an integral part of its narrative, with lead star Saoirse Ronan showing off her stunning voice more than once throughout the film. Speaking to The Playlist for a recent interview, Ronan expressed her love for music and hope that soon, with the right collaborator, she’ll get to stretch her pipes once more.
“I’m not a singer, but I would love to be in a musical,” said Ronan. “I’d love to be in a film musical. I think that would be really fun. And I’ve decided that Greta [Gerwig] is going to write it.”
When asked if Gerwig knew she was undertaking this responsibility, Ronan added, “She will in time. That’s good. I’ll tell her when I’m ready.”
Earlier in the interview, Ronan discussed her singing in previous roles, like in “The French Dispatch” and her first film, Amy Heckerling’s “I Could Never Be Your Woman,” but performing for a large crowd as she did in “Blitz” was a different experience entirely.
“I’ve done little bits here and there,” Ronan said. “And listen, I’m not a professional singer, but I love to sing, and I get very nervous doing it in front of anyone. So it was a big thing to have to perform in front of people.”
As backup, Ronan recorded the songs she performed in “Blitz” at Abbey Road Studios and then her and McQueen would decide “on the day” whether they’d use it or she’d sing live.
“I was singing, but we would mix it with stuff that we had done in the studio, which was raw,” said Ronan to The Playlist. “They hadn’t done anything to it or anything. But yeah, apparently, that’s just what you have to do. You have to record it ahead of time for safety’s sake.”
In reflecting on how McQueen communicated what music meant to Ronan’s character and her family and how it was the “beating heart” of their house, the actress immediately connected with the sentiment.
“I grew up with music just being played all of the time, and that’s sort of the art form that I am drawn to the most, more so even than film and TV is music,” Ronan said. “I’ve always loved it more than anything. So yeah, to get to bring to life was just very exciting.”
“Blitz” is now playing in select theaters and streams on Apple TV+ November 22.
