Film Friday: Kate Winslet on Using a Rolleiflex TLR in 'Lee'

One of the occasional entertainments of being a photographer are the many examples of movies and television getting photography risibly wrong. That shouldn't be the case with the new film Lee, a biopic of model-turned-photojournalist Lee Miller starring Kate Winslet. Kate actually buckled down and learned how to use a Rolleiflex TLR like Lee's:

The narration of the segment does muck a few things up—the camera Kate used in the film is not a "replica," for example. It's undoubtedly a real old Rolleiflex of the same model as Lee's. But it's interesting to hear Kate Winslet talk about her dedication to the part. She actually took pictures as she was acting, rather than just fake it. "It needed to feel like an extension of my arms," she says of the camera. "I had to feel comfortable with it. And in order to do that, I had to know what I was doing." Eric Singer does fascinating videos on coaching actors to do accents, and fluency with a camera seems like a similar kind of technical detail of the acting craft. Bravo for her for trying to get it right—that's rare.

While I'm on the subject of videos, there's a small segment of an interview with Neil Young which I think will be of interest to artists in any discipline. Not everything he says is transferable, but start this video at about 6:05 and listen for a minute or two. It certainly resonated with me: I have a quote that's been taped to my computer for decades now, Boswell quoting Dr. Johnson: "A man may write at any time if he will set himself doggedly to it." The analogy for photographing would be getting out with a camera. Don't think you need to be inspired; don't think you need to be looking forward to it, or that you have to have a promising prospect in mind. Just get out. Whatever is meant to happen will happen*. Sometimes nothing does, but sometimes things come along that surprise you. You never know before you start if you're going to have a good day, and, to paraphrase Sally Mann, you never know where the next good picture will be coming from.

Another video you might be interested in: CBS Mornings just did an interview with Steve McCurry. I have to say I got a thrill when they put the loupe on the original Kodachrome slide of "Afghan Girl" (her name is Sharbat Gula). That's a picture that deserves to be called "iconic"; it's as famous as Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother." Speaking of Devotion, the title of Steve McCurry's newest book, put me in mind of a tidbit of scuttlebutt that I heard recently. It's that, among many other things, Steve has been very generous in sharing his revenues with the Magnum collective (supposedly he earns far more than any other Magnum photographer), helping in no small way to keep that very famous—yes, you could say iconic—agency thriving. Devotion indeed.

Lee Miller's Rolleiflex. Photo by Henry Leutwyler via Sotheby's.

The picture above comes from a nice article at Sotheby's by Lee's son, Antony Penrose, who appears in the Kate Winslet video.

I haven't watched Lee yet, so I can't recommend it from personal experience. Lee Miller was certainly among the most interesting of photographers, however. The film is available on Netflix, so I hear, and it's available for rent on Amazon Prime for $6, a price I remember once paying for movies in theaters. I'll definitely watch it at some point. I've never seen Kate Winslet in a movie, but I've known who she is since Titanic. I keep meaning to watch Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and I understand she's in that. (Charlie was the screenwriter.)

If you've seen Lee already, what did you think?

Mike
(Thanks to Jay Townsend and Albert Smith)

*Um, "as they say." We won't get into the difficult philosophical underpinnings of that often harebrained sentiment.

Original contents copyright 2024 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Tony: "Honestly, it's a great film—really well put-together in every way, and one of the best movies I've seen in years.

"On a camera-related note, Andy Samberg plays the role of David Scherman (LIFE photojournalist and, later, editor) alongside Kate Winslet's Lee Miller. Throughout the film, Samberg's using a Contax II—not the most user-friendly of cameras. He obviously had some training in how to properly use it though, as he was noticeably using 'the Contax grip' whenever he bought it to his face. Someone involved in that film really knew their stuff!"

Enrique de la Huelga: "Pedantry alert: sure, it's a real functioning Rollei, but it's a 'replica' of Lee's camera because it was styled and accessorized to look like Lee's actual camera for the movie, with stressed leather case and matched details, etc. Since everyone is wearing sterile gloves, I'm wondering if those two camera on the table are both Lee's genuine cameras…or perhaps one is the 'replica?'"

Kristine Hinrichs: "Speaking of women photographers, are you familiar with Dickie Chapelle—the first female photojournalist/war correspondent to be killed in action. She was killed in Vietnam but saw action back to WWII. She was with the Marines at Iwo Jima. Hers is quite a story—told in a documentary called 'Behind the Pearl Earrings.' She was tough enough to have been named an honorary Marine."

Comments

[Robert Roaldi]

There's a very good TV mini-series with Winslet called Mare of Easttown in which she plays a law enforcement officer in a small rust belt town. It's either 6 or 8 episodes, probably widely available. It's not a part I would have associated with her, not that I am knowledgeable in casting actors, and it's a pleasure to watch the performance.

The series has the same depressing rust belt vibe as an older film titled The Confirmation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Confirmation).

I've always enjoyed the studio scenes with Timothy Spall playing a photographer in the movie Secrets and Lies. It might be the kind of storefront photo studio that no longer exists.

[DavidB]

"...I keep meaning to watch Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind..."

I saw this film a few years ago but seem to have forgotten what it's about. ;-)

[Chuck Albertson]

Saw "Lee" in the theater about a month a go. Kate Winslet nailed it. There's also a good making-of piece about the film in this month's American Cinematographer (best value magazine in America, if you ask me).

[Zyni]

I have seen Lee: it is a very good film. I think it is well-known that Kate Winslet really worked hard to get this film made as Lee Miller is a hero of hers. And it shows: she is brilliant in it. It is interesting that she actually took pictures (she should make a book...) but goes to show how much work she was willing to do.

It is particularly effective when we know what they are going to find but they do not, until they do. And very important just now that what they found be remembered, lest it come again.

Of course this is the second portrayal of Lee Miller this year, and the other (as 'Lee Smith' by Kirsten Dunst) is also extremely good, and another important film I think.

I have been to her house!

If you can, see these films in a cinema: it is worth it anyway, and better that cinemas survive than we hand even more money to techbro plutocrats who perhaps have enough money and power now.

[Richard Tugwell]

I can empathise with Kate Winsletts atttraction to that Rollei. Coincidentally I just resurrected my 2.8C on my return journey to analogue photography.

Digital for some reason leaves me a bit cold nowadays - I know that's illogical - a photo is a photo after all, but there's something about the means of acquiring it ...

I like and admire my Fuji gear, and use it regularly for stock photography and the like, but for personal photography I'm getting more out of using 120 film

My father was a professional photographer in the '60s and I have fond, if nerve-wracking memories of assisting him on wedding assignments with Rollei TLRs.

I've had this one for 25 years, although for the last 15 it sat in storage. Working perfectly 'out of the box'. From the serial number it is pretty much the same age as me (1954/1955) which also adds a bit of poignancy

[Chuck Albertson]

There wasn't a prop assistant to change the film in the camera, either: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WsuLgoE6QW8

[Sean]

There’s a fascinating episode about Lee on the always informative and never dull The Rest Is History podcast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786?i=1000669177062

For those who prefer seeing and hearing:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tKM3YvEqL5s

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind is a fine movie with a great soundtrack.

[Kevin Crosado]

Saw Lee at an actual movie theatre. Cost a bit more than $6·00, but our dollar is worth a lot less than yours and I also had coffee and cake. I liked the film a lot. Winslet is excellent, although the other characters tend towards the cardboard cutout and the plot is a bit scatter-shot.

I was intrigued by the video's emphasis on the importance of holding your breath while pressing the shutter. Back in the day we were always taught that this was a no-no. We were told to try (it's harder than it sounds) to breath in normally as you focused, then gently breath out, and relax, as you pressed the button.

[Peter Williams]

I wonder why Steve McCurry still has credibility after the retouching fiasco from 2015-2016.

[Jeff]

She says she still uses the camera. That says a lot about how immersive her experience was.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WsuLgoE6QW8

I liked the movie, but didn’t love it; a mixed bag. Other reviewers have covered the issues, so no spoilers. That said, Winslet performed very well, as she has in a few other films I’ve watched.

[Dave Levingston]

I saw "Lee" in a theater when it came out. It is an excellent movie. And it is a wonderful movie about a photographer. I was impressed with how well they got the details of photography right, even before seeing that "60 Minutes" piece.

I noticed that Lee and her photographer companion both carried light meters. But they only used them when they would have needed them, like inside buildings. Outdoors they were, of course, using the Sunny 16 rule. Also, when they were showing prints, the prints were square, as they, of course, would be. There were a few exceptions, but those were obviously cropped for composition.

Highly recommended. I don't think there were any of the usual photo goofs.

And, I'll add my recommendation for "Mare of Easttown." It's an excellent series and a good place to appreciate what a truly fine actress Winslet is.

[David Comdico]

Lee Miller taking a bath in Hitler's bathtub is one of the great WWII photography stories, along with Tony Vaccaro developing his film at night in his helmet (and in fellow soldiers' as a prank). She is also a member of an esteemed group of models-turned-photographers. In my pantheon, including Tina Modotti before her and Ellen von Unwerth after.

My Rolleiflex is from a couple of decades later than this one. I think 1956. I love it.

[Andrew Lamb]

A friend of mine, Marion Hume, is one of the writers on Lee. She told me today (by coincidence)that there is an exhibition of both Kate's and Lee's photos in the UK. I forget where but it might be in Miller's house in Sussex.

By the way, not only is Kate amazing in the film but she was a real tour of force in ensuring that it got made. It was a gruelling production. Something like nine years in the making.

[ASW]

Whenever I think about depictions of photography in movies, I always recall the opening minutes of a really, really bad movie I watched years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Do_NT9hlo

I keep searching eBay for a mint copy of whatever miniature super-telephoto lens Sam Elliott's character uses... So far no luck.

[Stan B.]

It was nice to see a film where the photographer wasn't using a telephoto from three feet away.

[Tex Andrews]

And also speaking of female photographers of a certain generation, and Rollei's, I was fortunate to know Constance Stuart Larrabee, also the shooter of some iconic images. South African, and following the troops to the front in WWII. Wonderful lady, and generous: she gave Washington College, where I was teaching at the time, enough money to get our art department out of an old, awkward farmhouse (which we loved after residing in a basement) and into a great new building that was the former power plant. I designed the darkroom, our first.

[Earl Dunbar]

I saw this video and was really pleased to see her commitment to good practice with the Rolleiflex.

The only “flaw” I saw was that, in my opinion, she didn’t quite describe the “holding my breath” practice correctly. In my experience holding one’s breath in leads to less than optimal stability. Releasing the shutter at the bottom of an exhale, before inhaling again, is the best method.

[Omer]

"The Reader" in which the main character, played by Winslet, an illiterate and former Nazi guard, is convicted of mass murder though she professed to not understand the gravity of her orders.

[Albert Smith]

I've been procrastinating on watching Lee, since it's been available on-demand from Spectrum cable. This thread made me pull the trigger and I just finished it.

As others beat me to it, I'll just say that if you have interest in photojournalism, WW II, or strong personalities breaking down barriers then this movie is well worth the few dollars to watch.

Also, in a world of Hollywood phonies, Winslet is fearless for not giving a f$#@ about being rendered cosmetically flawless. War is hell, and it showed on her face and body as her character went through the hell she documented.

This movie made me look at my RollieFlex 3.5F sitting on a shelf in my livingroom and wonder if I should buy some film.

[AN]

Haven’t seen Lee yet, but definitely recommend Eternal Sunshine. Charlie Kaufman’s movies are always interesting from an intellectual standpoint, but they don’t always hold up for me beyond that. The premise of Eternal Sunshine is a typical Kaufman thought experiment, but the execution is also emotionally rich and rewarding (and funny!).

[John Camp]

Lee was a fashion model before she became a photographer, and a model for Man Ray in Paris. Made famous photo of a drowned SS officer (I think) at one of the death camps. Now I gotta see the film.

"Don't think you need to be inspired; don't think you need to be looking forward to it, or that you have to have a promising prospect in mind. Just get out. Whatever is meant to happen will happen*"

I've gotten off my elderly ass the last few months and worked hard on my photography. Interesting psychological shift here -- I've started to "notice" things again. I think people cruise through the day with objectives in mind, and you tend not to notice what's going on around you, especially if it's not something especially unusual. Once you start noticing, the day becomes markedly more alive. There's actually a definite, perceptible shift in the way your mind works. Got a nice street shot of a very large couple hugging each other...not notable, just nice.

[Jeff]

For John Camp…. Don’t expect to see any of Lee’s experiences with Man Ray, etc. This was one disappointing aspect of the film for me.

[hugh crawford]

That's a fascinatingly modified Rolli. I have never seen one with a Heiland flash solenoid shutter trigger. I can't think why anyone would want to trigger a Rolli from a distance so presumably there was some sort of M-synch and possibly multiple flashbulbs involved. A little Googling shows that there are others out there. Apparently a press photography modification

Haven't seen the movie but Lee Miller is amazing.

[Christer Almqvist]

I have seen a lot of pictures of and by Lee Miller and I had several books with pictures of and by her. Fascinating and beautiful.

We went to our local "arts" cinema to see the film. I had bought tickets in advance so that when we arrived a few minutes before the film started we saw a sea of grey haired women seated in the audience.

The film did not impress me as much as the back view of the audience.

[Mark Dannenhauer]

Ms. Winslet seems under the impression that she learned and used a Rolleiflex replica built for the film. As stated here, c. 4:30 in this Sky promo film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBVUsK87MME
The book Lee Miller's War is made of Miller's photos and her writings, many written on assignment for British Vogue, ("...of all unlikely publications...", David Scherman in his Foreword), ed. by Antony Penrose.

[robert e]

It's a bit disappointing that the image in the chimney finder is right-side-up, though I understand the cinematic rationale. Now, how did they pull that off? At least they kept the mirror flip, so that's something. All is forgiven though, because the filmmakers managed to capture the magic of the ground glass image crystalizing into to focus, like a portal opening onto another world, or a miniature cinema in your hands.

[David Francis]

A very good exhibition of Lee Miller's work just wrapped up today at The Image Centre in Toronto.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

I’ve been eager to see this "Lee” biopic since I first learned of this Kate Winslet pet project over a year ago.

The Good: Winslet clearly practiced long with using that Rolleiflex, as it seemed completely natural to me. That she’s actually making a photo in each scene where she was shooting is completely plausible. She takes time to frame and focus. In brief, the camera and photography just gets out of the way of the story, in which Winslet shines as Lee Miller.

The Bad: I felt that the film begins a bit too late in Miller’s life. If you didn’t already know her backstory you might miss the full gravity of the moments depicted in the film. Also, the film’s narrative seemed choppy and discontinuous. I rarely say this, but I believe this is one film that could have used another hour, mostly at the beginning to fill out Miller’s profile.

[Chris Kern]

Tony: Throughout the film, Samberg's using a Contax II—not the most user-friendly of cameras. He obviously had some training in how to properly use it though, as he was noticeably using 'the Contax grip' whenever he bought it to his face.

My father’s prewar Contax II was the first “real camera” I ever used and I still shoot occasionally with a restored one. It does take some getting accustomed to, but one of its advantages over the competing Leicas of the era was that the knurled focusing wheel on the front of the camera permits the photographer to line up the rangefinder images while maintaining a steady grip on the camera with both hands. Not an insignificant attribute for a journalist working in a war zone. After a while, keeping your finger from covering the rangefinder window on the right as you focus becomes second-nature. My biggest problem with the Contax—both my father’s and my restored sample—is the collapsible 50mm Zeiss Sonnar lens: it is all too easy to forget to extend it when you start using the camera.

[Chris Feola]

@Kristine Hinrichs-thanks for the link of the documentary. Looking forward to checking it out. Are you familiar with Gerda Taro? She was a tremendous photojournalist who was killed during combat in the Spanish Civil War, crushed by a tank during the retreat from the Battle of Brunete.
Taro is fascinating. She and Endre Friedmann established the Robert Capa alias in an effort to get paid more for their photos. Their editor saw through it soon enough. Friedmann kept the Capa name and became the photographer behind Death of Loyalist Soldier and the D-Day photos. But some of the early Capa photos were taken by Taro. Capa and Taro were lovers, and were friends with David "Chim" Seymour. The three covered the Spanish Civil War together.
After Taro's death, Capa and Chim went on to found Magnum with Henri Cartier-Bresson. But all three died in combat: Taro crushed by the tank during the Spanish Civil War first; Capa stepped on a landmine in Vietnam during the First Indochine War in 1954; and finally Chim was killed by Egyptian machinegun fire during the 1956 Suez Crisis.

[David Bennett]

You want to watch a film with Kate Winslet - watch Revolutionary Road.

[Sean]

I’d have thought Gerda Pohorylle, aka Gerda Taro, was the first female photojournalist killed in action. She was killed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War at The Battle of Brunete

“Taro was the companion and professional partner of photographer Robert Capa, who, like her, was Jewish. The name "Robert Capa" was originally an alias that Taro and Capa (born Endre Friedmann) shared, an invention meant to mitigate the increasing political intolerance in Europe and to attract the lucrative American market. Therefore, a significant amount of what is credited as Robert Capa's early work was actually created by Taro”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerda_Taro

[

Ah--here's the discrepancy. Dickie Chappelle was the first American photojournalist killed in action. Gerda was German, and in fact has a town park named after her in Stuttgart, where steel panels spelling out her name tell her life story on the back. I suppose there's also a nit to pick in how Gerda died—I've read several accounts, but essentially it was an accident, and the tank that killed her was Allied. But that doesn't count against her in my view. She still died while covering the front lines and because she was bravely putting herself in harm's way. --Mike]

[Mark]

With my 1937 Rollei the image is right side up...but flipped left to right,
not upside down.

Same with my 1968 Hasselblad. However, with my view camera
the image is inverted.

[Mike Kukulski]

If we are talking female combat photographers, along with Lee Miller and Dickie Chapelle, there is Catherine Leroy, a petite French photographer who was the first photojournalist to make a combat jump with airborne troops in Vietnam. See https://casualphotophile.com/2019/08/13/women-combat-photographers/

[Jack Mac]

I had a Rollei 2.8 Planar from 1967 to 2015. It was my main camera from 1967 until we had a son and I got the first Minolta AF in 1984?
Medium format film was great in the darkroom as dust wasn’t as enlarged as it was with 35mm. I had bought it from a mentor in photography who had two Rollei and sold me one. I sold it to a younger friend in Milwaukee who wanted it and uses it today. Better for someone to use it rather than sit on my shelf in a place of honor, while I shot medium format digital. I had bought it used for $250, and sold it almost 50 years later for $250. Too bad digital cameras depreciate a bit faster.