Lee is a documentary about Lee Miller whose career started as a model but was primarily based on her photography.
She led a fascinating and unusual life. Her photography work began at American Vogue, but she found more resistance in England to her work.
For most of the film, we follow Miller as the official war photographer for Vogue. Her career in photojournalism was not without discrimination and difficulties.
The last quarter of the film is hard to watch, as it’s the aftermath of the war through France and Germany. The photographers trudge through mud and bombed areas to capture the realities of the war. It’s grim and dark, especially the piles of dead bodies in the concentration camps and decimated cities.
Lee was determined to share what she had learnt back home.
Perhaps some of photographs don’t make sense, unless you understand that she drew inspiration from surrealist artists, and studied lighting, costume, and design in Paris prior to the war. The photo in the bathtub and bomb shelter illustrates these influences.
The film is based on a book written by her son, Anthony Penrose called “The Lives of Lee Miller”. It is the only authorized biography of her life.
After you’ve watched this documentary, you might to watch some short films about Lee Miller on YouTube. Some of these will explain her life in more detail and the impact of her relationships with famous people (artists) on her compositions and photos as artworks.
Australian cinema release date 24 October 2024.
About Lee
Cast: Kate Winslet, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Andrea Riseborough, Noémie Merlant.
Directed By: Ellen Kuras Written By: Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee.
Produced By: Kate Winslet, Kate Solomon, Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, Marie Savare, Lauren Hantz.
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