Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: Michael Jackson, Rosie Perez, Marlon Jackson, Joe Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Mark Ronson
"Without Off the Wall, there would be no Thriller," says one of those interviewed for Spike Lee's documentary about the early years of Michael Jackson's career, culminating with the release of 1979's Off the Wall. It's a mixed bag. The impressive focus is on Jackson's work ethic and pursuit of perfection in his work. He loved what he did. He would sit in for hours on other artists' recording sessions just to learn how to produce a record and mix it. He was tough on himself. "Even if a song went to number one, I am always thinking how I could have improved it," says Michael himself.
As big an album as Off the Wall was for Jackson at the time, it was eclipsed in every respect by Thriller (1982). Off the Wall became that first Michael Jackson solo album. Songs like Rock with You and Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough still receive wide radio airplay, but it is odd to see a Michael Jackson documentary that stops before Thriller. It's like a World War II documentary that ends just as the Germans invaded Poland. Director Spike Lee has made strong documentaries before (Four Little Girls) and he knows the territory. But why do I get the suspicion this one was made because no one else ever thought to make a documentary about Jackson's third most famous solo album? If you want to argue that Bad (1987) belongs in the tertiary position, go ahead.
It is certainly true that Thriller represented the next step in Jackson's evolution as the King of Pop. The album sold millions, yet Jackson only won Grammys in R & B categories that were not shown live on TV. He made Thriller partly because he was driven by perceived snubs. After Thriller, no one could deny him his superstardom. He achieved stardom as a young boy and lead singer of the Jackson 5. They were a Motown staple, but soon jumped ship to Epic/CBS records in order to pursue better creative control. It is amusing to hear the CBS President at the time tell a story about how he nearly refused to sign the Jacksons. What a colossal mistake that would have been.
The Jacksons (the name Jackson 5 was still owned by Motown) released Destiny in 1978 featuring the huge hit "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". Michael wanted to be a solo artist and his movie role in The Wiz (1978) and Off the Wall cemented that dream. The movie not only focuses on Jackson's singing and songwriting abilities, but his dancing. Michael was gifted and worked hard. He was forever trying to push the limits of his abilities. It is part of what made him great.
But then, Lee's film hits a wall (no pun intended). Song by song is covered. We hear the history, we see numerous talking heads saying how great the song was, and then on to the next song. The pattern becomes monotonous. I found myself wanting Lee to get through the songs faster. Do we really need to hear a review of a song that Michael Jackson himself probably forgot he recorded? The personal baggage that inevitably followed Michael into scandal, controversy, a trial on child molestation charges, and then his untimely death in 2009 is sidestepped. The scope does not extend that far. Lee's documentary is really a love song to the Michael Jackson before he became the world's biggest megastar and thus began his tragic downfall. But the movie only tells half of the story. What's told here is done well, but it all feels incomplete.
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