I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but, before discovering Control, I had no idea who Ian Curtis was and wouldn’t have been able to identify a Joy Division album if you played the whole thing for me. What makes this even worse is the fact that even a brief skimming of their catalog makes it blatantly obvious how influential they have been on the bands of today, particularly many of those of the indie variety.
One positive that arose from me not knowing anything about Curtis was that, even though this was a biopic, I didn’t know the details ,of his life, career, or death, so I could just sit back and enjoy it like it was fiction. I will try not to spoil too many specifics in this review, but a few general details are unavoidable.
Control follows Curtis’s life from his teenage years in the mid-70s, through the formation and rise of his band, Joy Division, to his untimely death in 1980, at the age of 23. Raised in Macclesfield, England, Curtis, a budding poet, was heavily influenced by the style and music of David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Like many artists, Curtis was deeply emotional and had a tendency to impulsively act on feelings. While still a teenager, Curtis met and married his wife, Deborah. In 1976, at the age of 20, Curtis decided to put his lyrical and vocal abilities to work, partnering with Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris to form Warsaw (which would later become Joy Division). The band eventually caught the attention of Manchester TV personality, Tony Wilson, and quickly signed a record deal with his label. After appearing on Wilson’s show, the band took off, performing shows all over England and the rest of Europe. While the band’s fame continued to grow, Curtis’s life became increasingly stressful. First, he began having seizures, even sometimes while performing, a symptom of the epilepsy that would plague him for the remainder of his life. Second, again acting impulsively, he convinced his wife that they should have a baby, a commitment that it became more and more apparent he was totally unready for. Thirdly, another product of his seeming inability to control his emotions/desires, he began an affair with a Belgian journalist who he met during an interview with the band. The mental and physical stress of balancing these three factors took its toll on Curtis, beginning a downward spiral which he would struggle to escape for the balance of his life.
Control’s strength’s are numerous. First and foremost, the tremendous portrayal of Curtis by Sam Riley. The depth of emotion which Riley conveys is incredible. Even without dialogue, the viewer is able to gain an accurate grasp of Curtis’s emotional and mental state by observing Riley’s body language and facial expressions. We see intricate balance of the romantic naivety of youth with the increasingly consuming sense of dread that existed inside Curtis’s head. Equally impressive is the accuracy in which Riley captures the essence of Curtis’s on stage performance, including his vocals. After watching a few Joy Division videos on the DVD’s special features, the resemblence becomes uncanny. Everything from facial expressions, to dance moves, to mannerisms with the microphone are truly spot on. Also impressive was the performance of Samantha Morton, who played Curtis’s wife, Debbie. Morton deftly communicated the inner turmoil facing Debbie Curtis, who loved her husband deeply, but became growingly disillusioned by his emotional unavailability and continuous adultery.
Perhaps equally impressive were the film’s script and directing. One reason Control’s script felt so true to reality was that it was partially drawn from Deborah Curtis’s (click that link for a current picture of Curtis’s wife and daughter) autobiography, Touching from a Distance. The dialogue truly seems natural and convincing for each of the characters, and the film left us with very few wasted lines. In addition, the way in which Curtis is written is stunning in that we see all of his flaws, and there are plenty of reasons to not like him, but we are never given the sense that the feeling that we are being pushed to feel one way or the other about him. He is never demonized and we are presented with facts, left to do with them what we wish. Much credit must also be given to director Anton Corbijn, who has given us one of the best paced movies in recent history. The film flawlessly incorporates the story of Joy Division into a work about its lead singer. Every scene is necessary, and Corbijn includes just enough music/performance scenes for us to track the development and evolving style of the band.
To tell you the truth, I really can’t think of any significant complaints I had about Control. It was exceptionally well written, expertly directed, and staggeringly well acted. If you have any interest in music, or just like top notch films, then Control is perfect for you. I fully recommend going out of your way to stop at the Blockbuster and pick this up the next time you have a chance.
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