Control (Anton Corbijn 2007)
Posted on May 25 at 10.37, 2008 by Eric Mahleb
A compelling look at one of the most influential bands of the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Shot in beautiful black and white to reflect the dreary working class atmosphere of north-western England in that period, Control focuses on Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division who committed suicide at the age of 23.
I used to idolize Ian Curtis in those days and had I watched Control back then, I may have been disappointed to discover that he was a simple human being who could not handle life’s difficulties. As a teenager who worshiped Joy Division, I had assumed that Ian Curtis was some kind of God who had a master plan to embrace darkness and death, an anarchist who had decided to live on the edge of life. But it turns out that this was not the case. Curtis struggled to come to terms with the increasing popularity of Joy Division and continued with his job as a social worker during much of the early days of the band’s success. He also could not reconcile his conflicting emotions towards the two women in his life: his wife and his mistress. In the end, he chose death instead of choosing either of them, although he decided to end his life in the home that he still shared with his wife.
Watching Control today has given me a renewed interest in the singer, albeit one which is based on his human traits, including his weaknesses, rather than on his iconic status.
Directed by Anton Corbijn, an accomplished photographer and music video director, Control is a very powerful film that should be of interest to anyone who loves music and who is interested in learning more about a band that has influenced so many others since.
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