Last updated 13:53, Thursday, 03 April 2008

The best of times and the worst of times

THE fact that Joy Division only recorded two albums and were in the musical limelight for a few short years makes it all the more remarkable that bands today are still citing their influence nearly three decades later.

The old rock adage – “It’s better to burn out than fade away” – was certainly true of the band’s singer Ian Curtis, whose suicide at only 23 guaranteed that the legend of the band continued long after they stopped recording.

And it makes the new DVD release Control, the black-and-white biopic of Curtis’s extraordinarily influential but tragically short life. is a must see for any music fan.

The Curtis portrayed in the film is not your typical rock ’n’ roll star, and is consistent with all that has been written and said about him since he died.

He married and had a family very young and, even when his band’s star was on the rise, he continued his day job at the employment exchange in between gigs.

He didn’t do drugs, nor did he drink too heavily, but he was complex and troubled. A sufferer of severe epilepsy, he struggled with his condition to the point of despair and was torn between an unhappy marriage and an unsuitable affair.

And the angst he wrote and sang about was not for artistic flair like many of his contemporaries, but was rooted in his deep unhappiness that ultimately caused him to take his own life.

So, naturally, the film of his life story is a pretty grim one, but is a thoroughly interesting watch and is brilliantly done.

If, like me, you are aware of Joy Division’s importance, without necessarily being a huge fan, the film is an eye-opener. Set against a backdrop of a bleak 1970s’ Manchester, the sense of place is excellent (enhanced by the black-and-white) and the music that Curtis, and bandmates Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Terry Mason are influenced by – Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Buzzcocks – give a real feel of the time.

And the fact that music mogul Tony Wilson, the man who discovered Joy Division, was involved in the production of the film (although he died before its release), along with Curtis’s widow Deborah, gives it even more credibility.

The story is a good mix of Curtis on and off stage, incidents of his life and marriage interspersed with footage of recordings, gigs and television appearances to never let the viewer forget that it was a real, down-to-earth person who was behind this phenomenally successful band.

But the best thing about Control – so-called after Joy Division single She’s Lost Control – is Sam Riley’s portrayal in the leading role. His performance is superb, right down to his energetic on-stage mannerisms that capture Curtis to a tee.

Whether you are a fan of Joy Division or not, the music in the film almost comes secondary to the story of Curtis’s personal journey that is captivating and desperate at the same time.

Next time, Interview starring Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller.