Viewing Goal: Identify the documentary's purpose
Writing Goal: Analyze The Queen of Versailles as I would analyze an essay or other visual text
The french king who built the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV, was known as the "Sun King" and passed on his love of luxury to his grandson, King Louis XVI. Louis XVI and his infamous wife, Marie Antoinette, were believed to only care for themselves and their futures, rather than their people, at the start of the French Revolution. The Queen of Versailles, a documentary by Lauren Greenfield that focuses on the life of billionaire businessman David Siegel, his wife Jackie and their family, is a not so subtle allegory of/allusion to the life and struggles of the French royalty at the time of the American Revolution. She argues that while the Siegel family can be considered "down-to-earth", they live in an excessive way. Greenfield, through an interview-like style and emphasis of the setting of the documentary, exaggerates the spoiled behavior of the characters and unnecessary luxury of their lifestyle to argue that no one is perfect.
The Queen of Versailles is completely focused on the life of the Siegel family in every way. David Siegel is the CEO, owner and founder of Westgate, a timeshare company with resorts across the United States and the brightest sign on the Las Vegas strip. His wife Jackie is 30 years younger than him and a retired beauty pageant contestant, model, and engineer. Both David and Jackie came from "meager lifestyles" and "never imagined" living where they do now, in a sprawling mansion in Orlando, Florida. The 8 Siegel children are so exposed to their life of luxury, with nannies, exotic pets, and limousines, that the idea of college, flying commercial, and earning a living is foreign to them. Being forced to live "among their means" is a struggle when the 2008 recession hits. But while the Siegels physically appear to be living in an over the top manner, they, their employees, and many of their friends and associates insist that they are "normal" people who "make other peoples' lives better through knowing them". The documentary is humorous, but also very blunt and candid, because the Siegels often don't realize that their actions are ridiculous, or that laying off thousands of employees from their company means they HAVE to sell their 90,000 square foot, $75 million "Versailles". They may be nice people, but they have flaws and appear to be living in a fantasy world, not reality.
The documentary, for the most part, seems very personal. The Siegel family's actions are filmed for 2 years, they are interviewed, and all the while, Greenfield never comments on their lifestyle, actions, or words outside of asking a few questions. The documentary relies on the Siegels, and if it were not for the interesting camera angles used and the fact that the family members and staff look directly at the camera, The Queen of Versailles would be less documentary-like and more like real life. This focus on the Siegels causes viewers to focus nearly all their attention on the family and their lifestyle, despite its exaggerated comparisons to the real Versailles, Louis XVI, and the title's namesake, Marie Antoinette. The family is seen in all its glory and all its struggle, and while it seems luxurious and powerful in the beginning, by the end, viewers are left feeling sorry for the family and exposed to their imperfection.
Setting is also very important to the documentary. The majority of the documentary takes place at the Siegels' home, their partially built place (Versailles), or with David Siegel's son and vice president at the Las Vegas PH Towers resort. Their excessive lifestyle is put into focus and makes the family seem more spoiled than ever, if they can leave their house in such a state of clutter and have things go to waste. The setting also helps viewers to compare the Siegels to everyday American families in both positive and negative ways. Positively, it emphasizes that the Siegels are messy, busy people who also have to worry about money and love their home. Negatively, they seem over-indulged and materialistic, despite David and Jackie's humble backgrounds. The family image as a perfect, American success story is destroyed because of the setting and the things the family says in their interviews.
Much like the luxury of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, David and Jackie Siegel are a family who has achieved success and appear to have let it bring their lifestyle to excess. They are a "normal" American family in some ways, but also exemplify the reality that no one is perfect and excess is not always acceptable. They are rich and famous, but also flawed and struggling to maintain their daily, spoiled routines. The Queen of Versailles is a documentary that causes people to think about "perfection" and success, and assess themselves based on the lifestyle of one big, over-the-top(perhaps exaggerated) family.
The documentary, for the most part, seems very personal. The Siegel family's actions are filmed for 2 years, they are interviewed, and all the while, Greenfield never comments on their lifestyle, actions, or words outside of asking a few questions. The documentary relies on the Siegels, and if it were not for the interesting camera angles used and the fact that the family members and staff look directly at the camera, The Queen of Versailles would be less documentary-like and more like real life. This focus on the Siegels causes viewers to focus nearly all their attention on the family and their lifestyle, despite its exaggerated comparisons to the real Versailles, Louis XVI, and the title's namesake, Marie Antoinette. The family is seen in all its glory and all its struggle, and while it seems luxurious and powerful in the beginning, by the end, viewers are left feeling sorry for the family and exposed to their imperfection.
Setting is also very important to the documentary. The majority of the documentary takes place at the Siegels' home, their partially built place (Versailles), or with David Siegel's son and vice president at the Las Vegas PH Towers resort. Their excessive lifestyle is put into focus and makes the family seem more spoiled than ever, if they can leave their house in such a state of clutter and have things go to waste. The setting also helps viewers to compare the Siegels to everyday American families in both positive and negative ways. Positively, it emphasizes that the Siegels are messy, busy people who also have to worry about money and love their home. Negatively, they seem over-indulged and materialistic, despite David and Jackie's humble backgrounds. The family image as a perfect, American success story is destroyed because of the setting and the things the family says in their interviews.
Much like the luxury of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, David and Jackie Siegel are a family who has achieved success and appear to have let it bring their lifestyle to excess. They are a "normal" American family in some ways, but also exemplify the reality that no one is perfect and excess is not always acceptable. They are rich and famous, but also flawed and struggling to maintain their daily, spoiled routines. The Queen of Versailles is a documentary that causes people to think about "perfection" and success, and assess themselves based on the lifestyle of one big, over-the-top(perhaps exaggerated) family.
No comments:
Post a Comment