Lee Miller is a name that not a lot of people will be familiar to. For those who do know her will think of World War II and those shockingly candid photographs of survivors and victims. Lee Miller managed to travel to the frontline of the war to deliver some of the most shocking photographs to ever exist. She was aided by her friend David Scherman, another American photographer, and the two of them discovered the true horrors of the war. Her life, this story, is extraordinary and compelling so it is even more shocking to find out this is the first time we’re getting a feature length film made about her. There have been countless documentaries but we finally have a war film unlike any other with Lee.
War cinema is a crowded genre with so many different stories from a variety of different perspectives. This makes it difficult to find interesting and new ways of telling the same story through different eyes. A bit like with One Life earlier this year, Lee feels and acts almost like a biopic of someone who had a staggering impact on the war effort. Lee Miller wasn’t a soldier but her photographs opened up the horrors of the war to the world, even if it was difficult to get the photographs published. In order to play such a confident and headstrong person you needed someone equally as iconic and as such Kate Winslet steps into her shoes, and it is a perfect match between actress and character.
Kate Winslet brings a level of sincerity, curiosity and charisma as Lee Miller. The film encompasses portions of her life before the war, during the war and there’s even a segment which explores her life after the war with Josh O’Connor playing someone who interviews her about her time as a photographer. Filmmaker Ellen Kuras has never directed before but she is a seasoned cinematography meaning she has an eye for crafting a scene. This is one skill that translates perfectly to this film as there are moments where there is no dialogue and instead we see Lee Miller interact with the world around her as Kuras makes the camera linger on her and her environment as Miller sculpts her photographs.
Lee is a fascinating film and you will learn a lot about her. Some of the scenes are chilling, shocking and have to be seen to be believed. Kuras doesn’t shy away from telling the more horrific parts of war history and that is exactly what aim Lee Miller achieved as well. The film works very well on a technical level, but on a narrative level the story could have been fleshed out a little more. Winslet, Andy Samburg and Andrea Riseborough all shine in a film littered with top talent, and it is great to see a different side to the war that involves a different type of shooting.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Lee is a marriage of talent, from the extraordinary prowess of Kate Winslet to the careful eye of filmmaker Ellen Kuras, whose talent as a cinematography brings a level of intensity and urgency to some of the more serious aspects of the film. Lee carefully balances the tone and the story in a way that makes the film sing. The result is an immersive experience that makes you feel like you’re with the characters on the battlefront and you’ll come away learning a lot more about the impact Lee Miller had on the legacy of the war.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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