“I saw the film twice and I loved it. I shed tears, it was gripping. Since this biopic, I listen to Michael Jackson even more and I feel his music differently.” Like Océane, 28 years old, from Grenoble (Isère), the French public praises the film retracing part of the star’s life, released on April 22 in cinemas. In just three weeks of operation, Michael exceeded 3.4 million admissions in France.
“These are 2 hours of nostalgia and emotion. The king remains the king,” summarizes Rachida, 45, based in Luxembourg. Sabine, 63, from Zimmersheim (Haut-Rhin), shares this enthusiasm: “The film directed by Jaafar Jackson is absolutely magnificent. Through his nephew, the legend will continue to live and remain in our hearts forever.” A biopic yet criticized for ignoring the accusations of child criminality targeting Michael Jackson, by stopping before this controversial period of his life.
Michael Jackson sold approximately 350 million records during his career during his lifetime. Photo Sipa/Rusty Kennedy
A fascination intact despite the years
His success underlines that 17 years after his death, the singer continues to fascinate. “His fame remains intact, his music transcends time and generations. Michael Jackson still has a lot of influence on current artists,” says Jean-Marie, 60, from Grenoble (Isère). Marie, 49, from Nivolas-Vermelle (Isère) is equally enthusiastic: “He is the undisputed king of pop. A god of music and dance. There will be no more artists like him.”
For some, Michael Jackson has even been with them since childhood. “He has always been present in my life. I still remember the evening event around Thriller ; I had nightmares about it for a long time. He was from elsewhere,” says Aline, 56, from Freyming-Merlebach (Moselle). Adeline, 41, from Stutzheim-Offenheim (Bas-Rhin), remembers precisely the day of her disappearance: “I spent the day crying. I thought he was immortal.”
Fans of all generations
An absolute fan of the star since she was 15, Sandra, 49, from Douvaine (Haute-Savoie), has devoted a lot of time to her passion: “I was part of the French fan club. At 18 I set off on the road to follow Michael: to Disneyland, to the Grévin museum in Paris for the inauguration of his statue, to the Cannes film festival for the screening of Ghostin Monaco for the World Music Awards, and finally on the “History” tour for 8 incredible dates in Europe. I even went on stage to You are not Alone à Lausanne ! »
Surprise, even the youngest who knew little about Michael Jackson during his lifetime were marked by the star. As Marie, 27, from Soufflenheim (Bas-Rhin) testifies: “He is a model for his perfectionism and his desire to always be number one. He is an artist as incredible as he is intriguing, who allowed me to grow by making the great values he defended (fight against poverty and racism, defense of the environment…) my daily battles. »
Lucas, 25, from Kauffenheim (Bas-Rhin), who has already seen the biopic four times in the cinema, remembers the shock of listening Thriller At the age of 6: “In my room, there is a corner dedicated to him. I collect a lot of things bearing his image: vinyls, books, figurines… For Nadir, 33, from Uckange (Moselle), the artist is immortal. “We will still talk about him in 400 years as we talk about Mozart today. An inspiration for generations of artists past, present and future.”
The lingering shadow of accusations
Some of our readers, however, recognize that the accusations of child abuse have tarnished the image they had of the star: “Over the years, I have been less of a fan because of his numerous surgeries and his troubles with the law. But I continued to listen to it. Despite everything, I still infinitely respect the artist,” explains Muriel, 52, from Sarreguemines (Moselle).
For her part, Sandrine, 54, from Eguisheim (Haut-Rhin) decided to dissociate the man from the artist: “There were gray areas and controversies around his life. But his musical legacy and his influence on pop culture remain immense. This is what I remember most: an extraordinary artist and memories of concerts which are among the most beautiful moments of my life. » Others, on the other hand, continue to defend their idol without reservation. Patricia, 58, from Jarny (Meurthe-et-Moselle), says: “I never believed the accusations [de pédocriminalité, NDLR]. For me, he remained a child in his head,” she assures.
