Overview of The Political Scene — episode on “Melania” (The New Yorker)
This episode features Tyler Foggett speaking with Lauren Collins (The New Yorker) about the Amazon/MGM documentary Melania. Collins watched the film, reviewed it for The New Yorker, and critiques how the documentary — despite large budgets and Melania’s executive control — reveals very little about the First Lady beyond carefully curated surface imagery.
Key takeaways
- The documentary is formally staged, tightly controlled by Melania (she was an executive producer), and intentionally avoids intimacy or revealing archival material.
- It was shot during the 20 days leading up to Trump’s second inauguration and centers largely on image-management moments (dress fittings, event prep) rather than substantive political or personal exploration.
- Reviewers and Collins view the film as more a brand piece/propaganda than investigative or revealing documentary filmmaking.
- Production and release were controversial: Brett Ratner directed (he faces sexual-abuse accusations and is a tarnished figure), many crew reportedly requested their names be removed from credits, and Amazon invested heavily in acquisition and marketing.
- Despite the controversy, the film had a strong opening for a documentary (roughly $7–8 million opening weekend), with an older female demographic (women 55+) among its core audience.
What the film shows (and how)
- Visual focus on staging, fashion, and ceremony: dressmaking scenes, inauguration wardrobe, black‑tie events (e.g., “golden eggs with caviar” dinner).
- A few policy/advocacy items appear in the coda: Be Best initiative (anti-bullying/online abuse), foster-care support, the Take It Down Act (against nonconsensual AI sexual imagery), and Melania’s role in the release of a hostage (Keith Siegel).
- Sparse depictions of family life: brief appearances by Barron, almost no presence or mention of Trump’s other children, and no informal home footage.
What the film omits or misses (major criticisms)
- Little-to-no archival or biographical material — no baby photos, limited family mementos — despite Melania’s immigrant background (born in then-Yugoslavia/now Slovenia) being politically resonant.
- No substantive exploration of her views, policy priorities, or political agency; moments that could humanize (downtime, casual family scenes, reflections on immigration) are absent.
- Fashion and image moments are presented superficially and rarely contextualized (e.g., no clear explanation for the choice of the hat at the inauguration or the “I really don’t care, do you?” jacket).
- Voiceover narration and rigid formalism sap potential intimacy; the film often converts serious subjects into staged, decorative vignettes.
- The result: viewers learn less about Melania than they did before watching — a “journey into the void,” per Collins.
Production, economics, and context
- Amazon reportedly paid $75 million (discussion in the episode cites $40M to Melania’s production company, $35M in marketing); Melania is said to have personally received about $28M from that fee.
- Director Brett Ratner was chosen for the project despite prior sexual‑abuse allegations (which he denies); Ratner and the timing of the release (amid other controversies involving Amazon/Bezos, Ratner, and broader political events) intensified scrutiny.
- Rolling Stone reported many crew members sought to remove their names from the credits.
- Premiere and marketing leaned heavily on spectacle (customized popcorn buckets, curated aesthetics), further reinforcing the film’s branding purpose.
Notable quotes & insights
- “The absence of a scene captures the First Lady’s essence.” — Lauren Collins (the film’s restraint and omission are telling).
- Collins: the film presents Melania “as we’ve always seen her — a lady in a hat that doesn’t show her eyes.”
- Tone comparisons: formal, bleak, almost “avant‑garde” in its lack of pleasure — likened jokingly to “Lars von Trier doing the inauguration.”
Audience and reception
- Box-office: roughly $7–8M opening weekend — strong for a documentary but modest relative to mainstream films.
- Core theatrical audience skewed older women (55+), plus a visible minority of pro‑Trump viewers at some showings.
- Critics characterized the film as an expensive personal branding project and, for some, political propaganda.
Bottom line / Who should watch
- Watch if you want:
- A study in high-budget image-making and political branding.
- Visual access to curated First-Lady pageantry and wardrobe moments.
- Don’t expect:
- Revelatory biographical material, candid family scenes, policy insight, or investigative reporting.
- Practical: wait for streaming if you want to see it; the theatrical experience adds little beyond the film itself.
Recommended follow-ups
- Read Lauren Collins’s New Yorker piece: “Melania is a $40 million journey into the void” (linked in the episode) for the full written critique and context.
- Consult reporting on production controversies (Rolling Stone, other outlets) for details about crew credit removal and Ratner’s involvement.