Photographer Anton Corbijn has photographed, and directed videos for, many high profile bands such as The Killers and U2, and one of the bands he photographed early in his career was Joy Divsion. For his first feature film, Control, Corbijn has beautifully portrayed the life and tragic suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis.
Based on the book Touching From a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division, the film feels like an intimate glimpse at the private life of the singer. Curtis committed suicide at the age of 23 on the eve of the band's US tour in 1980 and the film explores, but never passes judgement on, some of the contributing factors to his death. These include his troubled relationship with his wife, his affair with Annik Honore and his battles with epilepsy and depression. The film portrays Curtis as talented and unpredictable: he's a sympathetic character but at the same time, Corbijn doesn't shy away from revealing his faults.
His background in music video is apparent in his use of rhythm and pace in the film, and also in the performance scenes of Joy Division. It was said that the audience often didn't know whether Curtis was taking a seizure or if it were simply a part of his performance, and Corbijn handles this confusion brilliantly in one note-perfect sequence. Also of note is the band's first television performance ('Transmission' in the film, but in actual fact the band performed 'Shadowplay'). While it's not the band's first performance in the film, it's where we first see Curtis' distinctive performance style and the band's recognisable image as post-punk icons.
A friend told me that she read that the title didn't just refer to Curtis, but that it also summed up Corbijn's direction of the film and after having viewed it, I think she's right. Corbijn shows excellent control not only in the narrative but also in his framing and composition. Curtis is often framed off-centre and in corners of the screen as though he is struggling to break out, which is the perfect visual representaton of his stated wish to Annik that he wants to get away from Macclesfield, his hometown. The film was shot in colour and printed to black and white, according to trusted friend Wikipedia, and again this shows Corbijn's complete control of the film. Not only that, it creates a beautiful play with light and shadow. Not a single shot in the film fails to contain some sort of beauty, even in the face of what can be very heavy material.
The performances strengthen the breathtaking photography. Newcomer Sam Riley is heart-breakingly beautiful as Ian Curtis. His portayal of the singer's erratic performance style, his epilepsy and his mood swings are impressive. His voice, while similar, is not quite the same as that of Curtis, but his musical performances are admirable, as is the rest of the cast portraying the band. Samantha Morton is an incredibly talented and versatile actress (I highly recommend Morvern Callar), and her performance as Deborah Curtis is amazing. Tony Kebbell is also fantastic comic relief as the band's manager Rob Gretton.
I have read a few criticisms of the film and while I don't disagree with them, I feel they are a little unfair. A biopic is a visual balancing act: it must juggle the subject's public persona, their personal life, historical fact, the demands of film narrative, and often a secondary source material such as a written biography. Personally, I think that very few biopics get that balance right, but Corbijn's film is definitely one them. Again, control is the key, and I look forward to Corbijn's next project.
If you like this film, then you should:
* Immediately purchase Unknown Pleasures, Closer and Still.
* Buy the Control soundtrack.
* Listen to Lou Reed and David Bowie
* Rent 24 Hour Party People.
* Look up the video for 'All These Things That I've Done', by the Killers
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