The biopic about life and death of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis
Winner of the Best European Film Award at this year’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, “Control” is a British film directed by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn. “Control” depicts the brief life of talented Manchester musician and enigmatic genius Ian Curtis, lead singer of post-punk band Joy Division, based on the biography “Touching the Distance,” written by Ian Curtis’s wife Deborah Curtis.
In 1979 Anton Corbijn was a regular photographer for the New Musical Express magazine. Later, he began shooting editorially for Spin, Details, Vogue, and Rolling Stone. He is also well known for directing music videos, including the award-winning video for Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” Metallica’s “Hero of the Day,” “My Friends” by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Coldplay’s latest video “Viva La Vida.”
After listening to Joy Division’s first album “Unknown Pleasures,” Corbijn struck up a long-lasting connection with the band which eventually resulted in him directing this film.
British band Joy Division released just two albums in their tragically short career – aforementioned “Unknown Pleasures” in 1979 and the follow-up “Closer” the next year. Following lead singer Ian Curtis’s suicide on May 18, 1980, the band’s first two albums became immensely popular and a great number of compilations have since been released. After Curtis’s death, the other members formed New Order, a dark pop band which was among the most popular and resonant groups of the 1980s.
“Control” presents a beautiful collection of black-and-white photography with impeccable soundtrack, featuring songs capably performed by the cast, music by Joy Division proper, and a score by New Order. The title is a reference to the Joy Division song, “She’s Lost Control,” which is believed to be a reference to an epileptic client befriended by Curtis while employed at a Job Center in Manchester. This is an honest portrayal of epilepsy around the 80’s period when the drugs available for epilepsy were failing patients.
The film opens in urban Macclesfield which Anton Corbijn shot in a monochrome light that characterized Joy Division’s videos such as “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” The film stays faithful to the book, showing Curtis as a wide-eyed teenager, playing records in his room and displaying an infatuation for shy, sweet Deborah Woodruff (Samantha Morton). The film shows Curtis working at the job center, helping those who are disabled apply for benefits. Away from his job, we see him at Iggy Pop and David Bowie gigs with Deborah and beginning to hang out with friends who later form the band with him.
The films then shows the rise of Joy Division – from the early days through to Ian’s haggling to make sure they got on a crucial television show including the sweaty gigs in cavernous locations and the attempts to sign for a record label. But mainly the film focuses on frontman Curtis (Sam Riley), the eclectic live performances, the impact of alcohol and experimental drugs, the introspection, his search for identity, the growing problem with epilepsy and the drift towards Belgian groupie and later mistress Annik Honore (Alexandra Maria Lara), much to the dismay of his wife Deborah.
What’s best, there are no wild biographical ideas as to why Curtis killed himself. There are suggestions, but no definitive answers. It will refuel many Joy Division fans’ love of a great band and at the same time attract new fans to the superb sounds that are now a source of inspiration for modern-day bands like the Editors and Interpol.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, in May 2007 where it was well received by critics, especially for Sam Riley’s performance. It won five awards in the British Independent Film Awards, including “Best British Independent Film,” “Best Director of a British Independent Film” for Corbijn and “Most Promising Newcomer” for Riley. It also won Best Film award in the Evening Standard British Film Awards for 2007.
Kyiv (19 Chervonoarmiyska, 234-3380). From June 26
In the original with subtitles
