September 11th 2024.
Kate Winslet is a remarkable woman with a wealth of experiences under her belt. But even for someone as accomplished as her, her latest film, Lee, has been her most fulfilling project yet. It tells the empowering story of Lee Miller, a former model who becomes a war photographer, and for Winslet, it was a unique and empowering experience to work with a female director in filming nude scenes.
The film also marks a reunion for Winslet and director Ellen Kuras, whom she previously collaborated with on the film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind in 2004. The two shared a similar vision when it came to portraying the more intimate moments in Lee's life. According to Winslet, they both understood that any nudity shown would only be on Lee's terms.
Kuras, being a woman herself, was particularly conscious of how women are typically portrayed on camera. This attention to detail and respect for Lee's story is what sets Lee apart from other films. It is Kuras' directorial debut, and it beautifully captures the most significant decade in Lee Miller's life. The former model discovers a new passion for photography and finds herself reporting from the frontlines of World War II for Vogue magazine.
In the film, Winslet portrays the real-life Lee Miller, alongside Marion Cotillard and a rare serious role from Andy Samberg. Using a Rolleiflex camera, Lee captures the horrors of war and gives a voice to the voiceless. She forever changes the landscape of war photography, but not without paying a personal price for witnessing such atrocities.
As always, Winslet delivers a nuanced and powerful performance, perfectly embodying the complexities of Lee Miller. She is a tenacious professional, a loyal friend, and someone with a liberal attitude towards sexuality. This meant that Winslet would have to film topless scenes, such as recreating Lee's iconic photo of herself in Hitler's bathtub. While nudity is nothing new for Winslet on screen, there was something special about this particular film.
The actress explains, "We never sexualized her or viewed her through a male gaze. It was crucial for us to shoot those scenes in a way that honored Lee's story. In her younger years, she was often viewed through the male gaze, and if you Google her, you'll find terms like 'former muse,' 'Man Ray,' 'ex-model,' 'ex-Vogue cover girl.' But that was just a small part of her life, and she didn't even enjoy being a model. She only did it for a couple of years before being asked to stop because of an advertisement she did for sanitary napkins, which was considered taboo at the time."
Unfortunately, Lee struggled to find work after that, much to Winslet's dismay. But she ultimately decided, "I'd much rather take a photograph than be one." Making a film about a woman, directed by women, was a privilege for Winslet and Kuras. They were able to infuse the story with their femininity, much like how Lee redefined femininity 80 years ago. For her, it was about resilience, courage, compassion, and power - qualities that still matter in our ever-changing culture.
Kuras, being a female director, was also mindful of the scenes involving nudity. She wanted to make sure Winslet felt natural in those moments, like it was just a part of the scene. To achieve this, she asked Noémie Merlant to also be present in those scenes, creating a carefree ambiance that reflects the unconventional lifestyle of the surrealists in the 1930s. They didn't believe in boundaries, and this was evident not just in their work as artists but also in their personal lives. As Kuras puts it, "They didn't wear their tops if it was hot, and sex was free."
Kate Winslet is an actress who has had a long and successful career, but her latest film, Lee, has been the most fulfilling for her. In this empowering biopic, Winslet plays the role of a former model-turned-war photographer, and it was an experience that she found particularly empowering. What made it even more special for Winslet was the fact that she was able to film nude scenes under the direction of a female director.
This reunion with director Ellen Kuras, with whom Winslet had previously worked on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was a perfect match. They both had a shared vision for how to approach the more intimate scenes in the film. As Winslet explained in an interview with The Agency in London, they both understood that whenever Lee was shown naked or partially clothed, it was always on her own terms. Kuras agreed, stating that as a woman, she was very conscious of how women are portrayed on camera.
Lee, which marks Kuras' directorial debut, tells the story of Lee Miller during the most significant decade of her life. A former model, Miller discovers a new passion for photography and finds herself reporting from the frontlines of World War II for Vogue magazine. Winslet portrays Miller alongside Marion Cotillard, and the film also features Andy Samberg in a rare serious role.
Using a Rolleiflex camera, Miller captures the horrors of war and gives a voice to the voiceless. Her photos change the world of war photography forever, but she pays a high personal price for what she witnesses on the battlefield. As always, Winslet perfectly embodies all the complexities of her character. Miller is a tenacious professional, a loyal friend, and has a liberal attitude towards sexuality.
For Winslet, filming topless scenes for Lee was a unique experience. One of the most iconic scenes in the film is a recreation of Miller's famous photo of herself naked in Hitler's bathtub. While Winslet has appeared nude on-screen before, there was something special about this particular scene. She explained that they never sexualized Miller or viewed her through a male gaze, which was important to them because Miller had been objectified in her younger years as a model.
In fact, when you Google "Lee Miller," you'll often find her referred to as "the former muse," "Man Ray," "ex-model," or "ex-Vogue cover girl." But as Winslet revealed, this was only a small part of her life, and she didn't even enjoy being a model. After an ad for sanitary napkins caused controversy, she was asked not to model again, which ultimately led her to choose photography as her career.
As a female director, Kuras was especially mindful of the scenes with nudity and wanted to make sure Winslet felt comfortable and natural. She even involved another actress, Noémie Merlant, in the scene to create a carefree and unconventional atmosphere, mirroring the attitudes of the surrealists who Miller surrounded herself with.
The 1930s setting of the film allowed for a sense of freedom and boundary-pushing in both art and personal lives, and Winslet believes that Miller helped redefine what femininity means. Her defining years were when she came into her truest self and never looked back. Kuras and Winslet both have a deep admiration for Miller's courage, resilience, compassion, and power, which are still relevant and inspiring in today's ever-changing culture.
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