Spike Lee has defended the Michael Jackson biopic Michael after critics called out its omission of the singer's child sexual abuse allegations, arguing that the criticism “doesn’t work in the timeline of the film.”
Film's Timeline Defended
Lee, who directed Jackson's 1996 music video for “They Don’t Care About Us” and later made two documentaries about the singer, told CNN’s Laura Coates that he had seen Michael twice and loved it. “First of all, if you’re a movie critic, and you’re complaining about all this other stuff, but the movie ends in ‘88. And the stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happened [later]. So you’re critiquing the film on something that you want in, but it doesn’t work in the timeline of the film,” he said.
The Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic, which hit theatres last week, follows Jackson from his early years in the Jackson 5 to the peak of his global fame in 1988 during the Bad tour. The choice to conclude the story at that point has prompted backlash, as the film does not engage with the child sexual abuse allegations that emerged later, before his death in 2009.
Box Office Success Amid Criticism
Despite being widely panned by critics, Michael opened to a 96 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and made $217m (£160m) globally in its opening weekend, setting a new record for music biopics. In a one-star review, The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey described the film as a “ghoulish, soulless cash grab,” adding that “if Michael exists to smooth out an icon’s legacy, it does so by eradicating anything that might indicate intent or agency beyond some nebulous idea that Jackson was a dreamer destined to ‘spread love and heal.’”
Reshoots and Legal Constraints
According to reports, an earlier version of the film addressed the 1993 abuse allegations and subsequent investigation. However, lawyers for Jackson’s estate identified a prior settlement with an accuser that “precluded any depiction or mention of them in a film.” This led to 22 days of reshoots, directly funded by the estate, costing between $10m and $15m, according to Variety.
The film stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his feature debut as the singer, alongside Colman Domingo as his father Joe Jackson and Nia Long as his mother Katherine.
Lee's Personal Reflection
Looking back at his personal relationship with Jackson and Prince, Lee said he missed them both. “I mean, these are my brothers. I worked with both of them. Both beautiful, beautiful people,” he said.
Reaction from Documentary Maker
Dan Reed, director of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which focused on two men alleging childhood sexual abuse by Jackson, said the film’s success shows that “people don’t care that he was a child molester.” He told The Hollywood Reporter: “Literally, people just don’t care. I think a lot of people just love his music and turn a deaf ear. And short of having actual video evidence of Michael Jackson engaged in sexual intercourse with a seven-year-old child, I don’t know what would be sufficient to change these people’s minds.”
Jackson, who died in 2009, denied all allegations made against him during his lifetime. He was charged in 2003 with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to a minor but was acquitted on all counts in 2005.
Michael is out now in theatres.
