 "Photo: Courtesy photo from image.net")
"This Is It" is like an intimate backstage pass, allowing the audience to see the heartbreaking what-might-have-been of Michael Jackson's elaborate final tour. For 121 minutes Jackson comes back to life, so vibrant and energetic that you're left wondering, "When is this tour?" Jackson moves to his iconic dance steps as effortlessly as the 20-something dancers in the background, leaving no evidence of a 50-year-old man addicted to painkillers.
The footage used for the movie was captured for Jackson's personal library during rehearsals of his final tour, "This Is It" from April to June 2009, before Jackson died on June 25, never making it to his final curtain call.
All of the biggest hits are featured in the footage, including "Thriller," "Man in the Mirror," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," a special montage for "Smooth Criminal" and many more, all of which he performs with the utmost enthusiasm even though the audience consists solely of the musicians, dancers, and the production crew.
Everything you want to see is there: the hits, the dancing, the singing and of course, Jackson.
The film shows Jackson interacting with the musicians, dancers, and the production crew: gentle and always encouraging; yet also knowing exactly what he wanted and what his audience expected. He was committed to delivering exactly what his fans wanted and took every effort to make sure that was possible. He runs through a song several times with one of his musicians explaining he wants the song exactly as it sounds on the original record.
The director of the production, Kenny Ortega, consistently asks for Jackson's opinion and approval on production aspects, and Jackson often adjusts his music and cues to his liking. Jackson considers every aspect of the show and overlooks nothing, illustrating his complete dedication to his artistry.
The respect and admiration of Jackson that everyone on the set has is manifested repeatedly through kind interactions with him, incredible enthusiasm for his work, and compassionate words during one-on-one time they have with the camera. One such interview is a tear-jerking moment when one of the dancers, ecstatic about the opportunity to perform with Jackson, looks forward to the excitement of an opening night that would never come.
It is clear how comfortable Jackson is onstage, never looking tired or frustrated, and never complaining with repeated run-throughs of songs. With flawless musicianship he gives 110 percent to every song, even when it is not asked of him. In one instance, he begins singing for his cheering audience of dancers though he said he should be resting his voice, but he just can't help it-there is no doubt this man truly loves performing.
His performances are electric especially when paired with the special effects and colorful sets. The "Thriller" sequence includes cryptic costumes in a graveyard sequence with Jackson center stage dancing his famous steps. There are also fireworks, flames and impressive video features supplementing songs.
For those of us who have never seen Jackson in concert and never will, "This Is It" gives a brilliant insight into his show and the intensity he poured into it. But it also offers something more than just a concert by a great musician (a concert that would have been magnificent in its completion), but also a rare look at a man who remained enigmatic to the public throughout much of his life.
As the credits rolled and Jackson's final single "This Is It" (released post-mortem) was played, no one in the audience moved until the last note. It's hard to imagine any other artist today that would be able to captivate us for two hours with raw rehearsal footage of an incomplete tour that will never see the sold-out audiences it was intended for. After all, he will always be the King of Pop.
Megan Keyho is a senior English major.
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