As a photographer with a keen interest in the history of photography, I was immediately attracted to Lee. This biopic is about Lee Miller’s life as an American photographer during World War Two.
Lee Miller (1907 – 1977) was a renowned fashion model for Vogue in the 1920s. From a stellar career modelling in New York, she successfully turned her hand to fashion and fine art photography.
The nearly two hour film staring Kate Winslet as Lee Miller, begins in late 1930s France. It’s a time of decadence, partying and blissful ignorance of Hitler’s horrifying rise to power.
The film follows Lee Miller taking images during the London Blitz as a war photographer for Vogue. She struggles against societal norms of the time, especially as a female photojournalist. The real action begins when she goes to France and experiences the emotionally scaring horrors of the frontline. Lee Miller was one of only a few female photographers to ever gain access to the World War Two frontline, which gives this movie a unique perspective. Some of the sequences in the film are exceptionally thought provoking.
Lee is a beautifully filmed drama capturing in vivid reality of the horrors of the Second World War. Kate Winslet puts in a sensational performance, ably backed up by co stars Josh O’Connor, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard
I loved this film’s depiction of a pioneering female photographer graphically capturing the grim reality of war. And most unexpectedly, I found this film quite an emotional experience, especially near the end.
It’s a big four stars from me.