Kate Winslet stars as photography legend Lee Miller. How did the biography “Big” appear?

It is unlikely that the Russian viewer will know the name Lee Miller, except perhaps for those who are interested in the subject of the Second World War or photographic art. And this is understandable, because his photographs became known to the public only in the 1980s. Of course, the title of the film “Big” (in the original just “Lee” – Ed.) does not evoke any association with her story and especially with the adventures of this strong personality and talented woman. However, to get closer to his incredible works and see the war with different eyes, it is enough to go there, at least for Kate Winslet, who plays the main character. The biopic itself is released in Russian cinemas today, November 21.

The film was directed by Ellen Keras, who does not resort to showing violence and pain, but focuses on the experiences of events on the part of the protagonist. It would seem what could cause a Vogue magazine model to swap her bohemian life for dirty trenches? Unsanitary conditions, rape of women and children, insufficient dry rations, rotting flesh of the dead, tears for the dead and screams of the wounded – all this is the terrible face of war that can break a person.

Lee Miller’s story begins with a trip to sunny France with his friends. They wander around the mansion naked, laughing and drinking wine by the pool. Lee Miller is no longer young by the standards of the modeling business of that time, but it is not so easy to throw an experienced rider out of the saddle – he is still at work: he travels a lot around the world with a camera in his hand. It takes photos of your hands and also for shine. Even compared to her peers in the industry, she seems like a rebel. No one understands why he films ordinary people he meets in Egypt. And unfortunately, the viewer does not understand this either, because Ellen Keras decided not to focus on the childhood of the heroine and her relationships with men.

And this is the moment when you need to look for answers on the internet – and this will most likely raise more questions. Because for some unknown reason the director decided to leave out quite interesting moments of the biography. And if not, then what is said below will not be spoilers. So the girl grew up in the family of an engineer and an amateur photographer, who filmed her daughter, including naked, when she was only 10 years old. But there’s more – in the 1920s, Lee Miller became a model in New York, where she took part in the (at the time) scandalous filming of an advertisement for Kotex women’s tampons. Considering the film’s feminist message, it’s not even clear why the female director decided to omit these interesting facts. Then begins the period of Lee Miller’s productive work with the surrealists. He becomes close to Pablo Picasso and Paul Eluard by portraying a statue in Jean Cocteau’s “Blood of a Poet”.

When Lee Miller makes remarks about photos and men at a friendly picnic, the reason it only seems forced is because we, the audience, don’t know the background. And it’s a pity, because at that moment it turned out that he had only one solo exhibition, and even those who recognized his talent did not perceive Lee Miller as a photographer. She also recently divorced Egyptian businessman Aziz Bey. Knowing this, we can understand why she was so impressed by Roland Penrose, the surrealist artist and curator of contemporary art exhibitions, her future husband, and the handsome blonde played by Alexander Skarsgård in the biopic. That’s why Ellen Keras is astounding; Were his feelings real, as shown in the movie, or was there just a calculation behind his choice?

Much of the story is about the war and bureaucracy that Lee Miller had to face to get to the front. It was very difficult for a British citizen, especially a woman, to obtain a war correspondent certificate. But even being unable to cross the Channel didn’t stop Lee Miller, who found ways to film the war by traveling to places affected by German bombing. He was able to go to occupied France as a full US citizen.

Ellen Keras contrasts Lee Miller’s courage with the indifference of men. Even famed Vogue photographer Cecil Beaton, when he reveals that Lee Miller came from his doorstep as a photographer, sees him as just an old fashion model. His perseverance and ability to tolerate jealousy and stupidity will delight you more than once. Especially when men pass by. For example, he saves a woman from rape, but in wartime in most such cases for many men this is not even a crime, especially if we are talking about a victim on the enemy side.

In addition to Jews, the film also mentions other peoples who suffered from Nazism, including Gypsies and communists (for some reason they were singled out as a separate nation). But the general impression of military events is still blurred. Perhaps the reason is in the story itself – after all, this is an adaptation of the book “Lee Miller’s War” by Lee Miller’s son Anthony Penrose. It turns out that he doesn’t really know his mother at all. Therefore, the interview scene with Lee Miller’s son looked quite ironic and interesting from an artistic point of view.

The fate of Marion Cotillard’s heroine, who played Lee Miller’s friend, is not at all touching – she appears when she is almost forgotten and disappears as if she had never existed. Despite the fact that Kate Winslet’s character filmed a lot in front of the camera, her photos, or rather photos of the real Lee Miller, are almost never shown (only partially in the credits). But the famous photo “Lee Miller in Hitler’s Bathroom” scene taken by her lover and Life magazine photojournalist Davy Sherman (played by Andy Samberg) is truly fascinating.

The main drama of the story is that all his frontal photographs, from the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps to the landing in Normandy and the liberation of Paris, saw the light only in the 1980s and thanks to the efforts of his son. . Why did this happen? Viewers will have to find the answer to this question themselves.