Riley also manages to capture Curtis’s signature baritone, Jim Morrison like singing style. Ian Curtis’s character is well played by actor Sam Riley, who looked eerily similar to the legend. The fate of the characters leaves many astonished and confused. The demand for him to perform, increasing fame and his deteriorating marriage start to weigh heavily upon Curtis.Īs one hears the somber, often despairing lyrics of Joy Division’s songs in the movie, the pain Curtis experienced becomes apparent. Curtis also begins to have an affair with a French journalist named Annik Honore (played by Alexandra Maria Lara). Epilepsy begins to beset him, sometimes while he is performing on-stage. While things are looking good for the band, things are not good with Ian Curtis. And after attending a Sex Pistols concert with the other future members of Joy Division, a band is created, with him as their lead: Warsaw, later changed to the name Joy Division.Īfter writing hits such as "Transmission" and "She’s Lost Control," the band finds itself gaining increasing popularity, to the point of making television performances. He meets a girl named Deborah (played by Samantha Morton) through a friend, and takes her to a David Bowie concert.Ĭurtis marries her at the young age of 19. It starts by introducing Ian Curtis, who lives with his parents, works at a record shop and writes poetry.
The new movie Controltells the story and dark struggle of Joy Division’s front-man Ian Curtis-his difficulty coping with increasing fame, health struggles, and eventual suicide.ĭirected by Anton Corbijn, the movie is shot in black and white, which seems to fit with the tragic nature of the story. Even if you haven’t heard of the band Joy Division, you have heard their legacy in other bands: The Cure, U2, The Smashing Pumpkins, and NIN, to name a few, have all cited the group as a major influence on their music.