Kate Winslet’s Lee has one major problem

As a seasoned gamer of life’s most intriguing narratives, I find myself both captivated and slightly frustrated by the film “Lee.” Kate Winslet’s portrayal of this extraordinary woman is nothing short of remarkable, but the script leaves me yearning for more.

Lee ending spoilers follow

Lee Miller led an extraordinary life that would require more than a two-hour film to fully portray, yet the movie “Lee” skillfully conveys some of her remarkable qualities.

The former fashion model turned photographer bravely broke conventions to document World War II’s frontlines, surviving Paris’s liberation and being among the pioneering journalists who exposed the atrocities within concentration camps like Dachau. One of her most striking images features her standing nude in Adolf Hitler’s private bathtub.

In a more casual and accessible manner, Miller appears to be larger-than-life on screen, yet the film intends to portray a more personal side of her everyday life as well.

In the narrative of her life, there’s one element that’s skillfully concealed by leaving things unsaid and leading us astray. This secret, intriguingly enough, turns out to be a pivotal twist in the movie’s climax.

Following her return from war-ravaged Europe and rejoining her second spouse, Roland Penrose (portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard), she welcomed a son into the world in the year 1947.

After Miller passed away in 1977, Antony discovered approximately 60,000 negatives and old manuscripts hidden in her attic. He subsequently shared these treasures with the world. Later on, he authored the biography titled “The Lives of Lee Miller,” which was published in 1988.

Initially hidden from view, Josh O’Connor portrays Antony in the film, leading us to believe he was merely an ordinary reporter interacting with Miller.

In an unexpected twist, what I uncovered in that interview wasn’t factual but rather a powerful narrative. It portrayed how I pieced together my mother’s forgotten legacy through the hidden relics I unearthed, painting a vivid picture of her extraordinary life and reshaping my entire perception of her.

In an interview with The Independent, Penrose acknowledges that prior to that instance, she had known her as a woman who was often intoxicated and found even something as simple as catching a train in Lewes to be a significant challenge.

During that very interview, Ami Bouhassane, Miller’s granddaughter, described the process of organizing her photos as follows: “It felt akin to solving a massive jigsaw puzzle; it took a full decade just to start understanding everything.

It’s a beautiful concept for a story – a son amending his relationship with his mother after her death through the legacy and secrets she left behind. A rediscovery through a mosaic of pictures, stories and mementos from a life he never fully knew about, and the traumas that haunted her until her last day. They could have used it from the start.

Nevertheless, the film only partially explores this theme, and the authors’ choice to employ it as a surprise ending feels unsatisfying. Interestingly, there appears to be intentional deception at the beginning of the movie when Lee Miller expresses her doubt about having children.

Why keep Miller’s maternal role a surprising revelation near the climax, adding dramatic impact without delving into her personal experiences as a mother?

Towards the end, once it’s disclosed that O’Connor’s character is Antony Penrose, the narrative brings Miller back into the story so she can express regret for not being the ideal mother she wished to be. The audience is led to infer that her former sharp temperament and alcohol addiction were the unfortunate results of the war, apparently causing her to fall short as a parent.

A more balanced and potentially less biased depiction of Miller’s psychological battles with PTSD, postnatal depression, and lingering effects from the war in the timeframe after the war ended and Antony was born might be a better characterization.

According to her granddaughter, she said to The Independent: “He (Antony) knew the Lee Miller from that time. Then there was the later Lee Miller, who learned to cope with depression and transformed herself, eventually passing away being honored as a renowned culinary figure.

Indeed, the photographer eventually switched careers later on, finding solace and passion in the art of cooking, which she came to view as her own form of therapeutic expression.

In simpler terms, the movie didn’t provide any explanation for these events at the end, instead focusing on a heartwarming reunion between the mother and son in their afterlife. While a biopic doesn’t necessarily need to cover every detail of a person’s life, it should maintain consistency throughout its narrative.

Despite the low-cost ending, not having the option to select a viewpoint remains Lee’s most significant challenge.

It seems possible that the authors concluded it wouldn’t be optimal to continue with Antony’s viewpoint alone. This is because telling Lee Miller’s compelling story – a woman who created powerful art deeply linked to women’s wartime experiences and traumas – from the standpoint of her son, Antony, might not have been effective.

As I watched the film unfold, I couldn’t help but notice intriguing glimpses into alternate storylines that never quite made it to the final cut – such as Lee’s personal voiceovers and the painstakingly detailed re-creations of her renowned photographs.

A remarkable film can be found within “Lee” – for example, it showcases how Lee Miller’s photographs vividly portrayed the genuine experiences of women following the war. This ranges from the forced haircuts of suspected collaborators to the unpunished sexual violence against women, perpetrated by both parties involved in the conflict.

However, it just needed a bit more bravery to bring it out and stick with it.

Lee is out now in UK cinemas.

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2024-09-13 19:20