There have been countless documentaries about Michael Jackson a superstar whose meteoric rise collapsed in the 2000s amid allegations of child sexual abuse that followed him until his death in 2009.
This four-part Channel 4 documentary focuses on the events leading up to the 2005 trial for molesting Gavin Arvizo, a 13-year-old boy a case in which Jackson was found not guilty.
What elevates this examination of the “Prince of Pop” and his relationships with young boys above the rest are unheard tape recordings of Jackson himself discussing the allegations that had swirled around him for years.
Jackson’s narrative remained consistent. A star at age five, he never had a childhood and longed for a lost innocence through the company of children he seemed to bond with better than adults. As a man who never grew up, he saw himself as a child and therefore felt it was natural to seek their company.
Even his home reflected this, with its fairground attractions, zoo, and “Neverland” name with its Peter Pan connotations. The documentary shows plenty of footage of Jackson and his young guests playing in the fun park, and it’s hard not to feel conflicted. Was it innocent — or was the whole funfair set-up an extravagant grooming trap designed to lure children into his trust?
This ambiguity continues in the tapes. Jackson says that if he were told, “Michael, you could never see another child… I would kill myself.” Are these the words of a sad, lonely man-child or of a paedophile?
And when Jackson admits in an interview to sleeping with Arvizo in a platonic way, you can’t help feeling disturbed that a grown man would want to share a bed with a child, no matter how dysfunctional his upbringing was.
It must also be remembered that accusations against the superstar began back in 1993, when Jackson paid off a boy called Jordan Chandler. Was it a money grab by parents ready to take advantage of the singer’s naivety or evidence of a pattern of abuse that resurfaced over many years?
All of this is well covered in the documentary, with talking heads from both sides of the argument. Although Jackson’s story has been explored countless times, The Trial is a worthy addition thanks to its archive footage and unheard tapes.
Alongside Leaving Neverland, this Channel 4 effort sensitively gives space to those who claim they were abused by Jackson and explores the cult of celebrity that so often silences accusers. It also allows defenders of Jackson to tell the other side of the story. The superstar never admits any guilt even in the tapes beyond perhaps being too naive and gullible.
There are no easy answers, and there probably never will be.
Watch this and see if it makes the maze of Michael Jackson’s life and actions any clearer.