This Is It

‘This Is It’ the movie is the closest any of us are ever going to get to seeing the concert, and after watching it, I am extremely disappointed that I will never have the opportunity to see the live performance.

I must admit, I had quite a cynical approach to the movie, thinking that it was just a way for the organisers of the concert to recoup some of their losses. But having watched it I can see why the movie was made. Not only did it show MJ in his final days, but the movie also promised what would have been the greatest live performance ever! And it is understandable for those involved, who had invested so much time, energy and passion into the project, to want to share it in some way with the world. It would have been a waste to have let so much work just be buried in masses of MJ archive. The movie gave a peek into what would have been an elaborate, hi-tech, boundary-breaking show in which meticulously-staged 3D vignettes transformed seamlessly onto the stage, and the man himself would be dressed in millions of dollars of Swarovski gems ornately woven into specially-designed costumes. These, of course, are just two of the impressive features of the show that will never be.

Beyond simply showing what the performance would have been, the movie also systematically works to not only restore MJ to his superstar status, but also to add a deeper, more meaningful, layer to his public persona. ‘This Is It’ revealed the portrait of a man who was so immersed in his work, and so dedicated and invested in every facet of his art. Watching the movie, I could practically see the processes of creativity emanating from MJ; I could certainly see the genuine respect and appreciation his peers had for his knowledge of every part of the stage and sound. Beside Jackson, Kenny Ortega was more a personal assistant than the director of the show.

Whatever controversies that have surrounded his life cannot diminish the fact that MJ was a true artist of the highest calibre; ‘This Is It’ has simply cemented that fact.
[Image from http://au.movies.yahoo.com/]