More about: Joy Division

Enjoying it's U.K. Premiere at Edinburgh Film Festival and having won the title of Best European Film at the Cannes this year, 'Control' goes a good long way to separate the man from the myth and to bring to life the complex enigma that was Ian Curtis, the lead singer and songwriter of Joy Division who committed suicide at the age of 23. Providing a killer soundtrack for music-lovers and based on the book 'Touching From A Distance' by his wife Debbie Curtis, 'Control' grips with its accurate portrayal and evocation of the emergent band set to black and white cinematography that was the hallmark of Joy Division's imagery (no colour shots exist of the band) - furnishing broody tones to the post-industrial wasteland that provided the backdrop to their post-punk music. In this, Film Director Anton Corbjin has staged a triumph in framing iconic shots which in themselves could exist as still photography - he was the photographer for U2's 'The Joshua Tree' cover after all.

Played superbly and sympathetically by Sam Riley as Ian Curtis and Samantha Morton as the put-upon wife Deborah Curtis, we trace Curtis's life from withdrawn, self-absorbed adolescent and meeting with his young future wife Debbie, a Sex Pistols gig gives context to his anger, frustrations and energy -  we see a man with deep musings quoting what would become 'Heart and Soul' "...existence, well what does it matter/ I exist on the best terms I can..." as well as a penchant for Wordsworth's 'The Rainbow' "...the child is the father of the man..." and a bookshelf with the counter-cultural bigwigs - J.G. Ballard, William Burroughs and Ginsberg's 'Howl'. Time-line is given with Curtis off to work with a coat and 'Hate' emblazoned across its back and fuck you in his stride, our protagonist cutting a mean streak as he goes to  work at the employment agency as John Cooper Clarke's Manc punk rant 'Evidently Chickentown' - "...the bloody pubs are bloody full..." shoulders the charge.

Forming of the band is matter of fact as Curtis falls in with some players in need of a lead singer, a fact he hears with indifference. In '24 Hour Party People' we had a ballsy and difficult Curtis meeting Tony Wilson for the first time, and again here we are - "you're a twat you are", whilst difficulties in the marriage prove grist for the mill and 'She's Lost Control'.

A notable performance from Toby Krebell as the manager Rob Gretton is gifted some of the best lines - staging a coup by off-loading the present dimwit manager - "How you going to cut deals and sort gigs if you haven't got a phone you daft c**t, no offence...". Tony Wilson's determined to sign Joy Division to his new Factory label - "We both fly the flag for Manchester. I'll even sign a contract in my own blood if it makes you happy" - which they hold him to, all cut up fingers - "Tony this is missing an 'S' - it's not very professional to leave an 'S' off the drummer" - T.W. all plastered fingers and fainting away. The punky sensibility and disregard is in evidence from their first TV appearance on Tony Wilson's show - with the band establishing what can and cannot be said on air - "What about big dogs cock - can you say that?" before launching into the apt 'Transmission'.

Things aren't as rosy as they seem after a disappointing London leg and Curtis's first epileptic fit with the band on way home from a gig leads to the bemusing diagnosis from a doctor who's as in the dark as anyone over what pokey downers are beneficial for Curtis's health, with the counsel to have early nights and stay away from alcohol - poles apart from the realities of what is becoming. By this point the isolation is becoming felt, the road to becoming estranged from Debbie is paved with ££ worries, a newborn babe and no phone calls home from a tour as Debbie is muscled out of the coterie compounded by  meeting Annik Honore, the part-time music journalist from Belgium who is to become Curtis's lover. Tell me about Macclesfield she asks - "It's grey, it's miserable, I've wanted to escape it my whole life", whereas Debbie loves it, confiding my marriage was a big mistake.

For Debbie it's still her husband who's underpants she washes despite the rising stardom, but then Curtis drops the bombshell - "Do you wanna sleep with other men, cos if you did it'd be OK, I'd be OK" segueing into the hallmark of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', and "I'm ashamed of the person I am" of 'Isolation'.

We see Curtis's frenetic, flailing possessed-dancing leading to an epileptic fit and humour comes from a po-faced Manager - "Still taking the medication? You know it could be worse - you could be the lead singer in The Fall". Curtis clearly isn't taking the band's popularity and touring with open arms, declaring to his lover Annik that he didn't want to be in the band anymore. "Unknown Pleasures was it. They expect more. It's like it's not me, but someone dressed as me. I'm not in control anymore", painting a young man who's a victim of his own success, who just wanted to get away from Macclesfield.

The final performance at Derby Hall in Bury finds Curtis dreading going on stage - the night before he had tried to overdose on barbiturates and had to have a stomach-pump. Stand-in singers are in line and Curtis attempts an all too brief appearance, but a riot ensues and a chuffed Tony Wilson adds -  "It'll go down in history". The need for some semblance of equanimity is broached with a reading of Wordsworth's 'The Rainbow' - "...And I wish my days to be/ Bound each to each by natural piety...", but the Heart of Darkness threatens to swallow Curtis with the fear of his epilepsy, the non-too-beneficial drugs, the poor father figure he's becoming, the impending U.S. tour and the love triangle all driving him to paranoia, fear, guilt, illness and depression.

Having spent the final days away at Tony Wilson's, Bernard Sumner's and his folks, there's little understanding of his personal isolation coming from other quarters and Curtis returns to Debbie's who has initiated divorce. The final day of the life of Ian Curtis is well documented - watching Werner Herzog's film 'Stroszek' and listening to Iggy Pop's 'The Idiot', yet we find a portrait of a torn and gifted artist who has embraced the pathos of his destiny - having sent Debbie away "...I'll be gone in the morning anyway..." and drunk himself to a stupor with whiskey the night before culminating in a seizure as he spirals into his own personal hell and the tragedy of his hanging himself taking place off-screen. "...don't walk away/ in silence..." of 'Atmosphere' adds to the poignancy as a chimney stack burns the body and Macclesfield is framed with the hills beyond.

'Control' has a scheduled general release for October 5th.

More about: Joy Division