My top 30 films - No.30

30. Control (2007)

"I hold my hands up! I am a believer in Joy Division! F***ing hallelujah!"

Control is the feature film debut from the Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, who famously directed the music videos for Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence and One by U2. However, he was a huge fan of Joy Division and this is a black-and-white biographical film about the life and unfortunate death of lead singer Ian Curtis, which is co-produced by Curtis' widow Deborah and inspired by her book Touching from a Distance.

It begins in Curtis' (Sam Riley) hometown of Macclesfield in 1973, with him listening to Aladdin Sane by David Bowie and meeting Deborah (Samantha Morton (Minority Report)) for the first time. They get married in 1975 and then he volunteers to become a singer in a band setup by his friends, after going to see the Sex Pistols. This was the time when they were known as Warsaw, but they rename themselves Joy Division by the time they release their first EP, An Ideal for Living. They then impress Rob Gretton, who becomes their manager, and Tony Wilson, who owns Factory Records and they sign with. However, Curtis has a seizure after their first gig in London and is diagnosed with epilepsy. He eventually quits his job at an employment office to go on tour, but leaves his wife and baby daughter behind. Whilst away, he tells Annik Honoré (Alexandria Maria Lara (Downfall)), a Belgian fanzine journalist, that he hates Macclesfield and his marriage was a mistake. Debbie discovers that he and Annik are having an affair and she eventually asks for a divorce. During this time, Curtis' fits are getting worse and he even tries to commit suicide by overdosing his medication. The strains of performing to the audience get too much for Curtis. At one gig he is initially unable go out there and when he does he walks off after one verse. Debbie refuses to take him back, which eventually leads to Curtis hanging himself. I am sorry if this is a spoiler for anyone, but it's a biopic and, in my opinion, you should already know a bit about the life of Ian Curtis.

The soundtrack to this film features many of Joy Division's live recordings of songs and the original incidental was provided by New Order. There are also original recordings of Drive In Saturday by David Bowie, Iggy Pop's Sister Midnight and a live performance of Boredom by the Buzzcocks, plus a version of Joy Division's Transmission by the cast. Part of that being due to the fact that Sam Riley was actually in a band called 10,000 Things. There were talks that he was going to add his own lyrics and the band their own sound. Instead you get the original sounds of Ian Curtis, so you are hearing the voice of the person you are watching develop over the course of the film. Plus, no one can sound exactly like Ian Curtis.

I do like the monochrome look to it and it does work, because it evokes those classic images of Joy Division, especially the one of them on the Manchester flyover. Anton Corbijn did also direct the re-released music video for Atmosphere in 1988 and took pictures of the band for NME. The other things I really like are the actors. Samantha Morton's portrayal as Deborah Curtis is so much more than that of a typical housewife and she was a fan of Corbijn's photography, Touching from a Distance and Joy Division. There is some sympathy for her character, as she has to deal with a husband who is not taking his medication and having an affair. Sam Riley is absolutely amazing as Ian Curtis, especially when he is on stage showing the amount of energy that he gave in his performances. This is his breakthrough performance, which won him the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Out of all the awards and nominations he received for his performance, the best one has to be the Kermode Award for Best Actor. Apparently Corbijn's initially considered Cillian Murphy for the part of Curtis but he was considered to be too short for the role. The film won 4 other British Independent Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, and several awards, including the Director's Fortnight when it was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

For me, Joy Division are one of the greatest British bands of all time. People still listen to them today and it's a real shame that they were only around 4 years, because they could have gained international recognition (I'm not saying that they don't). Control is a fitting tribute to Ian Curtis and the other members of Joy Division. The other cast members actually do look like Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. I will now listen to Joy Division songs in a new light, whether it is Transmission, Atmosphere or Love Will Tear Us Apart. But the most important thing, Stephen Morris and Peter Hook liked it...