On Beamafilm: The Queen of Versailles

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The titular “Queen of Versailles” is Jacqueline (Jackie) Siegel, a former model and beauty queen with a degree in computer engineering. Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield had unprecedented access to Jackie, David, their eight children and their household staff to make her film about this rich and unusual family, following them for two years. At the beginning of the film, the lifestyle of Jackie and her children is idyllic, living in their enormous mansion with many servants and multiple pets. The company is doing well, and as a side note to the central drama, the film offers a fascinating insight into its internal workings. Then the Global Financial Crisis hits, and both the company and the family are thrown into jeopardy. Under increased financial pressure, the relationship between David and Jackie quickly deteriorates, as does their living situation. Forced to lay off most of their domestic staff, Jackie finds herself having to more actively participate in taking care of her children and cooking. David, the “King” of the household, angrily demands cuts to expenditure – but Jackie’s version of penny-pinching is a grotesque parody of what middle-class American families were going through at the same time. The viewer is drawn into a very strange situation – one which must have been even stranger for Greenfield, filming them as the events occurred. The Siegels are billionaires. When the financial crisis hits they are undeniably affected. It is even possible to feel sympathy for them. But their version of hardship would still be considered luxury to most. It raises a lot of questions - are the Siegels really worthy of sympathy? what is the definition of hardship? - and these questions are what make this documentary so powerful as a study of the Global Financial Crisis. But “The Queen of Versailles” is also, at heart, a character study of Jackie and her family: particularly the relationship dynamic between her and her husband. It is a relationship in which she is definitely the weaker party, and her husband doesn’t hesitate to exploit the lack of power in her position. Undeniably a trophy wife, Jackie struggles with being seen as nothing more than a rich man’s toy – yet it is hard to see her as anything else. “The Queen of Versailles” makes for compelling viewing on a multitude of different levels. Watch 'The Queen of Versailles' on Beamafilm now!