Discussion Guide for the Movie: Lee (2024)

• Movie: Lee
• Release Year: 2024
• Rating: R
• Genre: Drama, War and Military
• Places Featured: Paris, France, London, England, Germany

Lee Miller was a New York fashion model who moved to Paris, became a fashion photographer and then a war correspondent and photojournalist capturing World War II and its effects on Europe. Her photos, published mostly in Vogue, captured all of the emotions and tragedies of the War.

In the early 1980s, Miller’s son found boxes of photographs, negatives, letters, journals, and souvenirs in their family’s attic–discovering a side of his mother he never knew. He then committed to sharing her story and promoting her work starting with a biography, The Lives of Lee Miller. More books, exhibits, and even a musical followed finally bringing Miller the recognition she deserved as a trailblazer of photography.

And, in September 2024, the movie Lee starring Kate Winslet debuted focusing mostly on Miller’s relationship with Roland Penrose, her struggle to establish herself as female photojournalist, and her experience capturing World War II.

It’s a powerful movie and highly recommended for any movie club discussion.

Discussion Questions for the movie, Lee (2024)

**The questions below include spoilers.

1. Had you heard of Lee Miller before or recognize any of her photos before seeing the movie?
2. What words would you use to describe Miller? Do you feel like this movie gave you a good sense of her and her life?
3. Much of the movie is about Millers relationships; what did you think of these relationships and how they were portrayed in the film?
   • her relationship with the man who eventually becomes her husband, Roland Penrose
   • her relationship with Audrey Withers, an editor at Vogue
   • her relationships with various art, fashion, and photography friends who are all impacted by the War in different ways,
   • her relationship with David Sherman, the photographer from Life Magazine.
4. Kate Winslet plays Lee Miller through several stages of her life–do you think her appearance at the various ages worked even though she was actually 48 during filming?
5. One major point in the movie is about the differences in the publishing world between Great Britain and the United States. Why do you think their regulations were so different for the war photos? How did that censorship affect Miller and her life?
6. One of Miller’s most iconic photos is actually one that Sherman took: Miller is sitting in Hitler’s bathtub with dirt of the Dachau concentration camp leaving a mess. What did you think of the photo? What did you think of what led to the photo?
7. Near the end, Miller reveals she was raped as a child. Why is that story important to who Miller is?
8. Were you surprised at the reveal that the man interviewing Miller was her son? Why do you think Miller never told Antony about her experiences?
9. It’s hard to capture someone’s life in a two-hour movie–what do you think was missing? What would you want to know more about?

Unique Ideas for a Discussion on the Movie Lee (2024)

• Find some of Miller’s real photos (the Lee Miller Archives are, of course, a great resource) and post them around the room or create a binder of them to share and discuss.
• Have each person in the group bring a photo that has always stuck with them and discuss the power of photography. (These Pulitzer Prize winning photos could be a good source.)
• Play music that would have been popular during World War II, like this Spotify playlist.
• Purchase some of the greeting cards featuring Miller’s photos and have everyone write a note to Miller and then read aloud.
• Serve British tea and French wine.