Melania Trump Memoir Criticized as Glitzy Propaganda, Lacking Substance

Amazon’s Record-Breaking $40 Million Melania Trump Documentary Draws Controversy

Forty million dollars is a staggering sum to spend on a documentary following a woman in and out of luxury vehicles for three weeks. Yet for Jeff Bezos and Amazon, this unprecedented investment secured rights to “Melania,” now the most expensive documentary ever made.

The film chronicles the 20 days before Melania Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, purportedly showing how the First Lady aims to “reinvent,” “elevate,” and “break old norms” of her role as Donald Trump’s wife. With an additional $35 million marketing budget, the documentary has been mired in controversy since its announcement.

Critics point to the project’s transparent propaganda nature, with Melania Trump herself serving as executive producer. The choice of director Brett Ratner has drawn particular scrutiny. The “Rush Hour” filmmaker was effectively banished from Hollywood after six women accused him of sexual assault in 2017, though no charges were brought against him.

Behind-the-scenes turmoil has further complicated the production. Amazon reportedly mandated that staff could not opt out of the project for political reasons, yet two-thirds of crew members have removed their names from the credits. Multiple complaints about Ratner’s on-set behavior have surfaced.

The film’s release comes at a particularly tense moment in American politics. With the United States experiencing significant unrest—including Trump’s threats to take over Greenland and fatal shootings by federal forces during immigration crackdown protests in Minnesota—the documentary’s glamorous portrayal of the First Lady strikes many as tone-deaf.

Box office performance has reportedly been lackluster in the UK, despite Donald Trump’s claims to the contrary on his Truth Social platform. At one screening, more than half the sparse audience consisted of journalists.

The documentary itself opens with sweeping shots of Mar-a-Lago’s beaches, zooming in on a snakeskin Louboutin stiletto as the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” plays. Melania’s monotone voiceover introduces her as “navigating the complexities of life” before whisking viewers to Trump Tower, where she and her team deliberate over shades of navy blue fabric.

What follows is a disconnected series of January 2024 diary entries: Melania being fitted for ballgowns, assessing champagne coupes for dinners, selecting “beautiful shades of greige” for White House interiors, hiring staff, and conducting a Zoom call with French First Lady Brigitte Macron about “children.” Throughout, she emphasizes her attention to detail, fashion consciousness, and focus on various initiatives.

Despite beautiful cinematography and a soundtrack featuring Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, and Michael Jackson (reportedly Melania’s favorite), the documentary offers little substance. It fails to explore the messaging behind her fashion choices, her approach to official events, the reasoning for White House redecoration, or her philanthropic motivations.

The film follows Melania between New York, Washington, and Mar-a-Lago—which she calls her “refuge from the outside world”—on Trump Force One. Real-world issues rarely intrude on the opulence, and when they do, they’re presented with detachment. She watches California wildfires from a luxurious sofa, attends Jimmy Carter’s funeral, and meets freed Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel, who is fighting for her husband Keith’s release from Hamas.

While the meeting with Siegel shows Melania displaying genuine compassion, such moments of humanity are rare throughout the film. Viewers gain little insight into her personal relationships, friendships, or vulnerabilities.

Even in an extended sequence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral where she pays tribute to her late mother, Melania remains composed and distant, sharing few personal details about their relationship.

The documentary ultimately offers little beyond platitudes about America, her husband, fallen soldiers, and the immigrant experience—the latter particularly jarring given current immigration controversies. Her narration of Inauguration Day as “so rich with meaning” comes across as hollow, with bonus footage showing Kamala Harris checking her watch during the proceedings.

Donald Trump himself appears briefly, in one scene droning on while Melania attempts to end the call, and in another where she offers edits to his inaugural speech. A moment where he discusses their 19-year-old son Barron—”I love him, he’s cute, we have cute conversations”—stands out for its oddly detached tone.

Critics argue that “Melania” fails as a documentary by leaving viewers less curious about its subject than before. The First Lady’s gilded cage ultimately proves less interesting than those orbiting around her—the staff, drivers, stylists, and job applicants seeking proximity to power.

“Melania” is currently playing in theaters nationwide.