Movie-goers walk in with popcorn in one hand, drink in the other. They sit down in the folding seats and wait for the film to start. Some are anxious, others indifferent. But few expect anything as invigorating, personal and practically live as what happens next.“This Is It,” Michael Jackson’s swan song, is a documentary film composed of rehearsal footage, backstage moments and on-camera interviews during preparation for what would have been a 50-concert series held in London.
The saving grace of this project is that its content was never meant for the big-screen. Instead, says a caption at the beginning of the film, the footage was to belong to Jackson’s “personal library.” In the wake of his death in June, however, the bits and pieces that were filmed came together in “This Is It,” a last way to say goodbye and celebrate the legendary artist.
From start to finish, the “This Is It” takes the audience on a riveting adventure of a would-have-been epic concert. Filmed entirely by hand-held cameras, the film feels more personal because of its partially shaky image and ability to give viewers an up-close look at the King of Pop.
What makes the production of the film so innovative are the clips of Jackson singing from different rehearsals, which are flawlessly pieced together to create sequences similar to music videos.
In between the music, the audience is taken behind the scenes and given a look at what goes into creating a concert series of such magnitude. Stressful and nerve-racking dance tryouts, grueling rehearsals and set/lighting/costume design are all intricately exposed. The film also shows the making of a handful of short 3-D films that would have played during the concert on a large screen in the background. For “Thriller,” a scene of a haunted graveyard was shot with dancing mummies and dead brides hurling themselves at the camera.
But what makes “This Is It” so appealing is that it’s real. It doesn’t hide the tension associated with such a high profile production, nor does doctor occasional off-pitch notes by doctoring Jackson’s voice. Instead, “This Is It” provides a reminiscent and observational look into Michael Jackson’s last life work that fans will treasure forever.
