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“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” is a bittersweet experience.
How can it not be? It’s safe to say that the footage it
contains is the last to show Michael Jackson alive. No,
not merely alive – he practically surges with energy as
he dances on stage in ways we’ve come to expect (save for
the Moonwalk, shown ever so briefly at a disappointingly
odd angle). ***
We see not the frail fifty-year-old beaten down by
years of legal battles, molestation allegations, financial
woes, and drug abuse, but a seemingly tireless entertainer
flawlessly keeping up with his much younger background dancers.
Could he have been counteracting his nightly propofol injections
with a daily dose of uppers? It’s a reasonable possibility.
Propofol is not meant to be used as a sleeping aid, but
as the first stage of general anesthesia and only under
the supervision of trained physicians. ***
Be that as it may, this film reveals that Jackson was
still capable of putting on a good show even weeks before
his death. Compiled from hours of footage shot during the
rehearsals of his comeback concert tour, This Is It is astounding
entertainment, assembled under the supervision of Kenny
Ortega to play more or less as a real concert would have
played. ***
The only exceptions are the moments of backstage conversing,
in which Jackson, Ortega, and numerous dancers and musicians
discuss the direction of the show and ways in which to improve
it. When a mistake is made, no one reacts badly; Jackson
in particular shows remarkable compassion by saying, “This
is why we have rehearsals.” His fellow performers listen
attentively, not only because they want to put on the best
possible show for concertgoers, but also because ... well,
because they’re working with Michael Jackson. ***
Indeed, there is something powerful, if a little dramatic,
about how devoted the background dancers are to the King
of Pop. Just after the opening titles, we see footage of
young men and women gushing over him, thanking him from
the bottoms of their hearts for giving them this opportunity.
Some are reduced to tears. ***
Would they react this way in the presence of any other
singer? More to the point, has any other singer instilled
such deep feelings within his or her fan base? You watch
them completely transfixed, and while you may not share
their point of view, you almost certainly will feel the
adoration coming off the screen. ***
The same can be said for the intensity of the concert
footage. Every song is carefully orchestrated and masterfully
combined with mesmerizing dance sequences. “They Don’t Care
About Us” combines live dancers with a screen full of futuristic
soldiers moving to the rhythms (this effect was achieved
by means of motion-capture technology). ***
“Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” are accompanied by
elaborate filmed sequences; the former features a newly
shot graveyard sequence while the latter features Jackson
digitally combined with screen idols like Rita Hayworth
and Humphrey Bogart. ***
“Black or White” ends with a fantastic electric guitar
duel that will have you applauding. “Human Nature” and “Billie
Jean” rely less on special effects and more on Jackson’s
dancing abilities; this isn’t as visually stunning, but
it certainly feels more personal. ***
Where on earth did Jackson find the energy for this?
Watching him in “This Is It,” you almost forget that he
ended up dying of cardiac arrest brought on by a drug overdose.
You also almost forget that the overdose was brought on
by years of addiction; when you have to rely on potentially
lethal medications like propofol, lorazepam, and midazolam
for something as ordinary as sleep, it stands to reason
that one would not be functional the next day, or any other
day. ***
And yet there’s Jackson, up on stage moving his body
with the speed and agility of a man half his age. Right
up to the end, he still had it. But one wonders: Would he
have been able to maintain that level of energy if he had
lived to start his concert tour? ***
“This is my final curtain call,” Jackson said when
announcing his comeback tour at London’s O2 arena back in
March. “This is it.” These words sounded ominous even then.
I don’t claim to be a diehard Michael Jackson fan, but all
the same, I think it would have been interesting to see
him try rebuilding his career. What other albums would have
been released? Could there have been something even more
successful than “Thriller,” which won eight Grammys and
is currently the best-selling album of all time? What songs
would we have heard on them? Would any of them be played
on the radio? ***
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