The Man In The Cinema
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so conflicted about going in to see a movie as I was with the Michael Jackson concert, This Is It. The movie itself doesn’t dwell on the singer’s death, infact other than one line of text at the end (“Love Lasts Forever”) the entire thing feels like a run-of-the-mill behind the scenes music concert documentary. Only, the audience knows why they’re there sitting in the cinema. They know why they’re experiencing this concert in a cinema and not on the stage with Jackson in the flesh. I was filled with a terrible forboding feeling from the start, an ominous sense lingering around me in the cinema seats. It was as if I walked in to see The Sixth Sense and already knew how it would end. However, quickly you are thrown into the process of the production – picking dancers, interacting with musicians and the musical director, costumes, dance moves, music performances. At times you tap your feet with the music, at other times you held your breath, there were even times that my entire body tingled.
Everything was so spectacular, it would’ve been a truly breathtaking thing to behold had it made it to match Jackson’s vision. As it was the behind the scenes footage added a real earthy gritiness, and we were given moments to see Jackson as the appreciative, softly spoken man as well as the dancing, singing superstar. However because of what we know as the audience viewing this some time after its creation, the feelings are bitter-sweet. Every other line out of Jackson’s mouth takes on new significance. He talks about environmental destruction and how we haven’t much time left, and we’re really left with no doubt that this (one way or another) is true. But then there are sweet funny moments and you are brought back into the warmness of this experience with a chuckle. Scenes featuring Jackson trying out his cherrypicker and his apparent fondness for the choreography of air stewards are truly delightful.
It would’ve been easy to exploit the grief of fans, it would’ve been easy to become overwhelmed by the sometimes depressing messages contained within the songs (especially with overlay sequences as powerful as that used in Earth Song for example). But here we are given a really wonderful balance. It is a warm and honest tribute to a man as beloved by his fans as the people he worked with.
Admittedly I come to this film as a Michael Jackson fan. I am aware that some people have said things like ‘the dancing was interesting’ and ‘I found it kind of boring.’ Such comments astound me. For anybody who has been alive at any stage during the last forty years, here is an opportunity to see the final work of one of our greatest performers and creative talents.
Leave a Reply