In the context of Michael’s life, the song feels like eery foreshadowing of his later reputation as an eccentric, and of his “companion animal,” the chimpanzee Bubbles. For example, there’s ‘Ben,’ the 1972 Golden Globe-winning song (from a film of the same name) in which Michael sings to a dead rat. Only a few scant elements of Michael’s personal life are gleaned through the prism of his work. Lee has chosen a relatively innocent period before the spotlight of fame was at its brightest nonetheless, the director seems to make a conscious decision to focus on the musical career. Jackson’s life was so dense with music and so rife with controversy that you could probably make a film about any period and have plenty to chew on. Spike Lee’s film is a reverent portrayal of this revolutionary period in Michael’s life: the chrysalis stage when he transformed from childhood Motown star to the global icon who rewrote pop history with Off the Wall and the cultural juggernaut Thriller. “But I’m doin’ it for you, I’m not doin’ it for them, I’m doin’ it for you.” It’s a rebellious moment that’s indicative of Michael’s urge for independence and also of his immense devotion to his audience (which would remain a constant throughout his career). “I’ll do the old stuff for you, okay?” he tells the crowd. The teenaged group is heard debating whether to perform one of their childhood hits when Michael addresses the audience. There’s a revealing moment early in Spike Lee’s documentary Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall where Michael is onstage with his brothers late in their career as the Jackson 5.
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