Went to see the preview of the film last Thursday, as it wasn't officially released in the UK untillast Friday and what can I say..........
The film started off during Ian Curtis' school days back in Manchester in the 70's. The film was shot in monochrome, paralleling the life in a black and white town, such as Manchesters grey and dismal look of the time. Grey concrete tower blocks, and sparse living. Reflecting the look of Ians grey and dismal life working at the Unemployment office as he left school.
Whilst at school, he met his future wife-to-be, who was actually a mates girlfriend that he fell in love with at an early age. Ian had a love of music from David Bowie to The Sex Pistols and when he heard that his mates band were looking for a singer, he offered to join.
The film takes us through his life. How he discovered he had epilepsy, and struggled to cope with it. Taking various forms of medication, and dealing with fits when drinking too much, and battling depression, partly caused by the side effects of his medication. There is a scene where he is arranging a job interview for a girl, in the unemployment office, and she falls off her chair and has a seizure. A few days later, he rang her home to follow up on this, only to be told by her mother that she had died from a fit. It was this that inspired him to write "She's lost control" (originally penned as "She lost control" until Ian altered it). It was shortly after this that Ian was diagnosed with his affliction, after suffering a fit on their first trip down to London to play some gigs.
Originally performing as "Warsaw", Joy Division got their real break, after appearing on TV when Tony Wilson gave tham a chance. The film follows their performances, and how Ian got himself into a trance like state whilst on stage, using the music almost to a hypnotic effect. At one stage, he even had an epileptic fit whilst performing on stage.
Soon he met up with a groupie, who was writing for a small fanzine, and soon found himself falling into an affair with her. When his wife found out, she was devastated, and this just added to his depression, as he was torn between two women that he both loved. The birth of their daughter at this time just seemed to make matters more complicated.
When his wife wanted a divorce, he begged her not to go through with it, but he could not leave his lover. Ian spiralled further and further into hiw own dismal world, getting pressure from all sides that he could not handle. The band, lack of money, and the pain he was causing to his wife.
The band eventually get their big break, and a two week tour of America is organised. Ian is having problems performing at this point, walking off stage at one point, which culminates with the gig turning into a mass brawl. Ironically at this point, Ian has lost "control".
On the eve of their trip to America, Ian gets drunk and suffers another fit. He wakes up in the morning on the floor, dishevelled and upset. He had already been rushed into hospital once before with an overdose of his medication and alcohol, and he had previously thought about killing himself. He could not cope any more. It was the clothes dryer attached to a pully system on the wall in the kitchen, that would be his final resting place.
His wife arrives home from work to find him. Her screams of devastaion seem to be heard by noone. The pain of losing the man she so dearly loved with all her heart showing through.
The film fittingly ends with Ians cremation. The black, dense smoke from the chimney billowing into the grey sky as if signifying the release of Ians soul into the "atmosphere". At last, he was at rest.
The film was both touching and hilariously amusing in various moments throughout. There are some great comedy moments. Ian came accross as a very confused, and sometimes quite vacant person. His short life (he died at the age of 23 in 1980), and it was evident that he married too young, although his love for his wife cannot be denied. He had problems in projecting his emotions, and at one point when his wife finds out about his lover, he can only stand there and say nothing. The film is beautifully shot in black and white monochrome, and if you are a Joy Division fan, the soundtrack is great, using some of their classics, with demos for authenticness. The lead actor who played Ian, was very impressive. His looks and mannerisms were so like Ians in my opinion. Even when he was dancing, it was almost as if it were him. The settings were also very authentic, as I remember the setting for "Love will tear us apart". The cast on a whole were great, and for this, it all made towards an exhilerating and sometimes sad memoir to Ian.
I would highy recommend this film to anybody, not just Joy Division fans.