There are many ways a film can depict conflict. ‘War on Film’ has explored several of them over the years. There are the stories of the supposed superheroes, as in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare or Masters of the Air; the parables of Apocalypse Now or A Matter of Life and Death; the satire of Catch-22, Dr Strangelove, or Oh! What a Lovely War. There are stories of science and war as in Oppenheimer or School for Secrets; stories from the perspective of the frontline soldier as in Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates; stories painting the grand canvas of war as in Napoleon, The Longest Day, or A Bridge Too Far.
While Lee is not the first time war has been seen through the lens of a photographer or cameraman, it is perhaps unique in seeing war through the lens of a female photographer. And it is that women’s perspective that gives Lee its very special viewpoint.
While the film is an opportunity to bring the story of a great war photographer to a mass audience, in movie terms it is very much a vehicle for Kate Winslet. There is no doubting Winslet’s qualities as an actor. She has appeared in literally dozens of movies over the course of her career, having shot to fame in 1997’s Titanic. Although she has won an Academy Award and five BAFTAs, Winslet has often chosen to appear in low-budget independent movies rather than Hollywood blockbusters, and has championed a range of causes from autism to body-shaming. In recent years, she has served as producer or executive producer on several projects.
