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‘This Is It’: This Is The Final Curtain Call
Nikki Houston, Journalist
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What was supposed to be the final tour of Michael Jackson, to 50 sold-out shows in London, came to all too quickly. All that is left of the King of Pop is this remarkable documentary-style montage of his ‘This Is It” tour 2009.
The film shows Jackson in a different light, one in which he never shows his frustration or anger, but instead shows his caring and humble side. Never raising a voice to his band members, dancers or set crew, Jackson shows fans it pays to be polite. The pay off is the amount of respect his entire team shows him.
There are many clips, such as the rehearsal scene for “Billy Jean” where the dancers are seen watching in awe as Jackson pulls off some of his famous foot work, dancers jumping with excitement, screaming and clapping as he gracefully glides across the stage.
Jackson promised his fans one last final farewell tour, one in which was to blow the audience away. As the film crew captured endless amounts of rehearsals, Jackson never missed a beat. In fact, he proved to fans he still had what it takes to make one of the best concerts of all time. His vision for the tour was one created by using special effects, making everything larger than life and providing the audience with their favorite songs.
COURTESY/MCT Back in the day, Jackson second from right.
There were moments he told his crew he was preserving his voice and would sway to the music as the dancers continued their routine. Jackson was far from weak, giving us a glimpse into his many famous choreographed routines such as “Smooth Criminal” and “Billy Jean.”
Kenny Ortega, Jackson’s stage show director, as well as four cutters – meaning the camera was guided along a rod which was able to capture close-ups and allows the film to be cut into specified lengths in a sequential manner – created a montage for Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” Cutting from classic black and white Hollywood film, to Jackson performing live, was perhaps one of the best dance sequences in the film. The transitions of old Hollywood film to Jackson, gave audiences a chance to intertwine themselves with the performance.
Another element Jackson wanted in his tour was the 3D effect, and what better song to apply it to than ‘Thriller.” The documentary goes behind the scenes to show the dancers in make up, wardrobe, then off to the cemetery to be awoken from the grave. While audiences would have been wearing their 3D glasses, ghosts would be flying around above them as Jackson and his dancers performed his most famous dance sequences.
‘This Is It” gives Jackson fans a chance to experience his finals days, to go behind the scenes and get a sense of what he envisioned to give his fans. This is unlike any documentary, it is a reflection of him, not only as a singer and dancer, but how he was as a person.
Although the film is said to be a documentary, it’s feel is more like a concert. You find yourself not only tapping your foot but singing along with every other person in the audience. This is it, finally a documentary worth watching.