A fascinating subject almost always translates into a great story, and director Ellen Kuras‘ “Lee” is blessed with a gripping one. Her biopic about Elizabeth ‘Lee’ Miller may be a little disjointed and slow, but it’s a showcase for exceptional performances and a compelling narrative about a bold woman with whom few are familiar but all should know.
The film tells the true story of Miller (Kate Winslet), a former fashion model who became a war correspondent and photojournalist for Vogue magazine during World War II. Thrusting herself on the front lines in a male-dominated profession, Lee covered major milestones of the war, including the liberation of Paris, the London Blitz, and the horror of the concentration camps at Dachau and Buchenwald. She may not be a household name, but she’s responsible for some of the most legendary historical images of the 20th Century.
Miller is one of the more interesting figures in modern American history, and Kuras’ film zeros in on the specific female experience of being in a war zone and the eyewitness account of the casualties of war. It’s a story that’s not been told, and its unique focus should be empowering to women everywhere.
The story ambles halfway through when Kuras chooses to shift the focus onto Miller’s French friends (Marion Cotillard, Noémie Merlant) and her romantic relationship with Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgård), which slows down the pacing. They’re only mildly interesting and do little to support or advance the story. The conflicts between Miller and her editor Audrey Withers (a terrific turn from the always-reliable Andrea Riseborough) are infuriating but understandable, especially when Vogue declines to print the most disturbing photos for fear of alienating their readers. Of course, it’s Miller who is the most engaging character here, with her incredible personal adventures told through a career-best performance from Winslet.
During her tenure, Miller teamed up with Life magazine correspondent and photographer David E. Scherman (Andy Samberg) on many assignments, and the two became close. The film is at its best when Miller and Scherman are sent to the combat zone during World War II, two professionals and friends who witness (and document) Hitler’s atrocities firsthand. It’s a unique view of the horrors of war as experienced by a woman who must find the emotional will to deal with unimaginable face-to-face encounters with a cruel, heartbreaking evil.
Despite its imperfections, “Lee” is admirable and powerful portrait of a fiercely independent, headstrong woman who changed the world of photojournalism. How exciting to finally have her story told on film.
