Melania, the 'Sphinx', steps onto the world's big screens

During her husband's first presidential term, Melania Trump distanced herself from the role of First Lady, spending much of her time in her apartment at Trump Tower in New York. She claimed she needed to be close to her son, who was attending school in New York. She only made rare appearances at the White House on official occasions, even though the hostess is generally expected to play a big sociocultural role in support of the administration's policies.

She took discretion and reserve to the extreme, making only rare public statements or interventions. Neither the public nor the media appreciated this attitude, which earned her the nickname "the sphinx." Today, a year after the start of Donald Trump's second term, the 55-year-old former model has decided to reveal facets of her personality. It reads as an act of revenge, partially over her failure to land the cover of Vogue, then edited by Anna Wintour.

Filming under Trump's Watchful Eye

Melania Trump has now given her personal version of her role as First Lady during the 20 days leading up to her husband's inauguration in January 2025 in a documentary film from Amazon, simply titled Melania.

The viewer doesn't learn much, except her travels from the president’s residence in Florida to the White House via Trump Tower in New York, her numerous appointments with stylists to pick out what she'd wear on inauguration day or discuss White House décor, and her grief over the loss of her mother and Michael Jackson, her favorite singer.

After a grand premiere at the Kennedy Center, recently renamed the Trump Kennedy Center, the documentary has been screening for a week in 2,000 movie theaters in the United States and 500 abroad. Most of the filming took place at Mar-a-Lago, under the watchful eye of Donald Trump.

Understandably so: Melania is the film’s official producer, appearing as she orchestrates preparations for the couple’s second inauguration. In one scene, she discusses her Slovenian heritage. The film poster shows her in a pose meant to look professional, seated on a chair in a very glamorous tuxedo ensemble and towering stilettos. The New York Times offered an excellent comment: "Mrs. Trump does not have a reputation for being accessible, and the documentary upholds that. She is never seen in anything resembling a casual moment: She is always perfectly coifed, made-up and heeled. (Her signature stilettos are frequently center screen, though the eagle-eyed can glimpse her, once, in slippers.)"

Mixed Reception and $40 Million in Marketing

As for the documentary's origin, credit reportedly goes to Melania herself, who pitched it to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos at a Mar-a-Lago dinner in 2024. In any case, the tycoon – the world's fourth richest person – pocketed $40 million to handle marketing for the film through Amazon MGM – a record for documentary promotion.

So how have the public, media, and social networks reacted to these slick images of Melania seen emerging from her shell and reinvented as a new-look First Lady? The response has been mixed, unsurprisingly. The documentary has been met with curiosity and wariness. Seen as unconvincing, it’s been labeled "propaganda film." The choice of director, Brett Ratner, is also questionable: he has a track record of sexual harassment accusations, first exposed by the #MeToo movement, which sidelined his career from 2017 until now.

High-Profile Launch at the White House

But as always, with Donald Trump, no obstacle is insurmountable, and he planned a lavish launch for Melania. A private screening was held at the White House before the theatrical release, with attendees including finance heavyweights (Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Lynn Martin, president of the New York Stock Exchange; Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom), as well as Queen Rania of Jordan (who appears in the film) and Mike Tyson. The special guests enjoyed popcorn in black-and-white designer boxes, cookies bearing the First Lady’s likeness, and copies of her memoir, also titled Melania.

Outside the executive mansion, the screening drew criticism from Democrats, especially Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who condemned Donald Trump for hosting a "movie night at the White House" while a dangerous snowstorm loomed and an immigrant was shot dead by law enforcement.

Meanwhile, undeterred, the president organized another premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center, in breach of federal law. Before the box office opened, he posted this message on Truth Social: "Melania is a must-see film. Reserve your tickets today! They're selling like hotcakes!" All while the first week’s box office numbers fell short of expectations. According to The Atlantic, a left-wing magazine, Melania is "a disgrace," while the trade journal Variety labeled the film an "infomercial."