Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson Tribute (VIDEO)

By Kendra Gilbert on January 6th, 2010

And the Michael Jackson tributes keep on coming. This time, Spike Lee has directed a music video to honor his friend, the late King of Pop. I guess when you’re a movie director whose friend has died, there is no other option than to memorialize him on film. And, so, Spike Lee did just that.

The tribute is apparently the “official” music video for the song “This is It.” Which was actually recorded back in 1983, but only released after the singer’s death last year. It’s all a bit illogical, but none of that matters here. We’re talking about the content of the video. It’s your standard memorial fare: childhood pictures of Jackson, messages from fans around the world, and signature performance clips. But, it’s nonetheless moving. I found myself sucked in after the first minute of the video. What I found most moving was seeing Jackson’s global impact. He was known, and loved, in every country around the world. Very few people will ever have that kind of impact on the world, like him or not.

I really like the shots of Jackson’s home town of Gary, Indiana. If the stills in the video are any indication, the city is basically a memorial to Jackson and his family. Much like Memphis is to Elvis Presley, what with Graceland and all. The video is a great look back at Michael Jackson’s life and career.