"This is It": Michael Jackson's final message
Amy Bauer
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Life!
With the rehearsal footage so impressive, there is no doubt that the concerts would have been a breathtaking thing to behold. The passion of all involved surpasses the splendor of the pyrotechnics and visual effects. The question remains though as to whether or not Jackson would have had the strength and endurance to actually complete the 50-concert tour. While his skill and power are still obvious, Jackson's frail form and extremely thin frame are difficult to ignore. While the film casts a spell over the audience, it is impossible to completely escape the reality that this superstar performer is dead and that no one will be able to see these performances live. The film includes the now famous rehearsal footage of "They Don't Really Care About Us," footage that was released to the public after his death as "the last performance" of Michael Jackson. This footage jolts the audience back into the reality that this film is truly an incredible recording of the last performances of one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
Whether or not Jackson would have been able to deliver for fifty performances, he does deliver in the film. He shines most brightly in "Billie Jean" where he gives a performance reminiscent of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Motown where he first shocked the world with his dancing and the debut of the moonwalk. He takes the stage by himself in the rehearsal footage of this song, and brings his dancers to their feet, cheering the man's sensational footwork. It truly is a thrill to see Jackson, in the film, performing the now famous dances of "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," and "Thriller" with the same power and energy he does in the music videos that awed the world. It is also haunting to see him perform a medley of Jackson 5 songs, including "Give Me One More Chance," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There." It is moving to hear Jackson sing "I'll Be There," a song about friendship and love because it resonates with a different type of passion and emotion. Michael is no longer the child who sang the song as we know it. He is an adult who has seen much suffering and loneliness in his life, making the song a moment of quiet reflection about the life of a complicated man, singing with all his heart on the screen.
Whether or not Jackson would have been able to deliver for fifty performances, he does deliver in the film. He shines most brightly in "Billie Jean" where he gives a performance reminiscent of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Motown where he first shocked the world with his dancing and the debut of the moonwalk. He takes the stage by himself in the rehearsal footage of this song, and brings his dancers to their feet, cheering the man's sensational footwork. It truly is a thrill to see Jackson, in the film, performing the now famous dances of "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," and "Thriller" with the same power and energy he does in the music videos that awed the world. It is also haunting to see him perform a medley of Jackson 5 songs, including "Give Me One More Chance," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There." It is moving to hear Jackson sing "I'll Be There," a song about friendship and love because it resonates with a different type of passion and emotion. Michael is no longer the child who sang the song as we know it. He is an adult who has seen much suffering and loneliness in his life, making the song a moment of quiet reflection about the life of a complicated man, singing with all his heart on the screen.