It is in some ways the quintessential backstage pass, and yet it also comes across a little like a canned bunch of snippets. Michael Jackson’s This Is It, while a poignant and moving tribute to one of the most talented entertainers in the world, is also a bit messy visually. Even with its pitfalls, though, it is clear had the show ever been mounted, it might have been one of the most elaborate and best live performances ever. And Jackson, despite any personal drama, would’ve been back on top of the entertainment world once again, recognized once again for his talent as opposed to his celebrity.
What is This Is It?
This Is It is a documentary based on the cobbled together behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the two and half months of performance rehearsal that took place before Jackson's untimely death on June 25. The title of the documentary comes from the name of the show its footage chronicles, a series of 50 concerts Jackson and his crew were to stage over the span of several months, beginning in July 2009 and continuing to March 2010. Directed by Kenny Ortega, a longtime Jackson collaborator, the film includes both Jackson's personal archival footage from the rehearsals and the film he intended to permit for the public's viewing. Its intimate style gives the audience an insider's look at what happens before the curtain goes up.
What This Is It Captures
The movie acts as a eulogy in some ways, capturing the magic of Jackson’s inimitable dance moves and his unique voice. However, it also highlights the low points-one wonders if Jackson’s holding back on singing during rehearsals has to do with potential issues he is having with his voice or his endurance levels or both, or if he really is simply conserving his voice. The brilliance of the man, though, is blatantly apparent, nowhere more clear than when he is instructing his band and dancers on when to cut a song, when to extend it, and when to let it breathe. HIs vision as an artist was clear. He knew what he wanted, and was able to clearly gauge what would work most effectively for a given situation or mood. He knew the importance of what it meant to “give them [the audience] something they’ve never seen before.” He clearly understood that his role as a performer was to enable people to escape from the ordinary, and to push the boundaries of that escapism.
What is also apparent in this film is the touchy topic of celebrity and its power. Ortega, constantly kissing up to Jackson, makes one cringe with disgust as it holds up a mirror to us in the audience, demonstrating how we the public act to deform our idols. Jackson straddled a world where he was simultaneously vilified and martyred, defamed and exalted, a difficult position for keeping one’s head straight. And yet, given the footage of this movie, he does not come across like an out-of-touch celebrity with a God complex, but as a truly skilled professional workhorse who knows how to coax the best performance out of both himself and his co-workers. He never fails to tell the people around him that he loves them, or to compliment them when they do something he really enjoys, and he always sounds very genuine when he does so. Though his choice of clothing might be a bit flamboyant and questionable, his manner and work ethic are not-he is nothing if not gracious and professional at all times during the film.
Where This Is It Falls Short
Where the film falls flat is in the lack of personal footage of Jackson one on one, and the overall editing process. The extreme number of cuts in some cases acts as a detriment to the impact of the scenes. One example in particular comes when the film demonstrates how CGI would’ve been incorporated into the final production of “Beat It”-the dancers were green screened and then multiplied to an army of thousands, an image visually stunning, fascinating and overwhelming. However, instead of giving that element its due and lingering a bit more on the final product, the film instead only uses a snip here and there, cutting it in between several different live dance rehearsals of the song. The cuts are so quick and so many, and the clips from so many different sources, it's hard to get a handle on what the scene would've been in the final show.
How This Is It Affects Jackson's Legacy
Fewer edits and more uninterrupted shots of Michael at the helm would've given This Is It a much stronger and more balanced picture of the show and the man behind it all. While we get plenty of the footwork (literally and figuratively), we get limited insight into the man himself, except as a singer and dancer. When we do get those small snippets of him working through the beats of a song and literally choreographing himself on the spot, or of him behind the scenes, watching a CGI piece unfold, we finally see a bit of the humanity and intelligence behind the popstar image. Had there been more focus on the man himself in his element, the film might have given a better picture not only of the genius that was Michael Jackson (and his talented team), but also a more full view of what that final tour would’ve entailed, and what we as an audience will be missing with the loss of this exceptional entertainer. However, the film does capture the artist’s pure love for entertaining, something overshadowed by much of the personal turmoil in his later life. It reminds the audience that this was a man who lived to perform, who gave his work every ounce of his being, and who wouldn’t stop until he had enough. Luckily for fans, the creation of this film means he will continue to inspire and entertain audiences worldwide for years and years to come.
 |
