One of the animating questions in a film about a war correspondent is “why?” Why do they do what they do? Why do they keep pushing, keep searching, keep exposing themselves to the suffering of war?

It’s the primary question at the center of the biopic “Lee,” about the famed photographer Lee Miller, who captured some of the most indelible images of the Holocaust as a war correspondent for Vogue during World War II. The question is posed by a young man (Josh O’Connor) interviewing Lee (Kate Winslet) about her life and work at her home in England in 1977, probing and provoking her in the hopes of extracting more profound answers than her usual caustic one-liners.

This framing device encircles just one remarkable chapter of the wild and colorful life of Miller. Lee and this writer discuss a roughly 10-year period surrounding the war, but Miller lived so much life both before and after this era. An American model and fine art photographer, she had already been the muse and lover of Man Ray, and had taught photography in New York City. When we catch up with her in the late 1930s, she’s gallivanting around the south of France with her friends. In just a few short years, Lee will find the purpose in her work that drives her, as well as traumas that almost destroy her.

Winslet, who produced “Lee,” has spent nine years developing the project, working with Antony Penrose, Miller’s son, and the author of the book “The Lives of Lee Miller,” which was adapted by Liz Hannah, with Marion Hume and John Collee (Lem Dobbs also has a story by credit). The script is crafted in a traditional biopic format, with a twist that lends itself to Penrose’s experience writing about his mother’s life, trying to make sense of it. Ellen Kuras, a cinematographer, TV director, and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, makes her narrative feature directing debut on “Lee.”

Though Miller is often spoken about in the context of her romantic relationships, and Alexander Skarsgård plays her husband, Roland Penrose, much of “Lee” is devoted to her working relationships and friendships. In addition to Marion Cotillard and Noémie Merlant, who play Lee’s French best friends, Andrea Riseborough co-stars as Audrey Withers, Lee’s editor and champion at Vogue, while Andy Samberg, in his first purely dramatic role, plays Davy Scherman, an affable New York photographer who becomes Lee’s professional partner as they report from war zones.

Samberg is a revelation here, delivering a terrifically subtle but incredibly moving performance. The powerful and daring Lee, a force of nature, has her own fears and vulnerabilities, and she finds comfort in Davy, a rare man who feels safe enough to trust. During the liberation of France in 1944, she hears of missing people, and they drive deep into Germany to uncover the ugly reality of the Holocaust.

“Lee” is anchored by a stunning extended sequence as Lee and Davy witness and document the wreckage and human destruction of Hitler’s regime: Nazi suicide pacts, piles of corpses, concentration camps, prisoners, victims.

Winslet is tremendous as always, embodying Lee’s gruff, no-nonsense persona, a hardened exterior underneath which a great wound still bleeds and finally comes pouring forth in a stunning confession, illuminating her every action that came before. This is a penetrating, revelatory biopic, and while it may take a familiar shape, the pioneering woman at the center was anything but traditional.

MPA rating: R (for disturbing images, language and nudity)

Running time: 1:56

How to watch: In theaters