Control (4½ Stars)

It all used to be so simple, everything.
Now everyone hates me.
I've made everyone hate me.
Even the people who love me hate me.

This is the true story of Ian Curtis, the singer of the band Joy Division, from 1973 to 1980. During his short life he achieved only moderate success, and he was almost penniless at the time of his death. A few years later people looked back at him, and he's now recognised as one of the best English songwriters ever. Many people, myself included, regard him as the very best. His vocal style makes people compare him with Jim Morrison, but Ian's song texts are darker and more morbid. Maybe Jim reached that level in songs like "The End", but for Ian the mood was constant.

Originally Ian was only a poet, but at a Sex Pistols concert in 1978 he met three musicians who were looking for a singer for their band. After joining them he became solely responsible for the lyrics. The band's original name was Warsaw, but after a few months they changed it to Joy Division.

Ian married at the age of 19. He thought he was in love, but he soon realised it was a mistake. Two years later he met and fell in love with Annik Honore, a Belgian embassy worker. During the last two years of his life he became increasingly aloof. He isolated himself not only from his wife, but also from the other band members. On stage he entered a trance-like state, staring upwards and dancing awkwardly.

On May 18th 1980, the day before Joy Division was due to fly to America for their first American tour, Ian watched "Stroszek" (a film about a foreigner in America), listened to Iggy Pop's album "The Idiot", then hanged himself. He was 23.

Ian Curtis is played by Sam Riley, an English actor/singer who looks and sounds uncannily like Ian Curtis. He captures Ian's mannerisms perfectly in the stage performances. While watching I was caught up in Ian's isolation and couldn't help suffering with him. The film's dismal atmosphere is intensified by being filmed in black and white. I've deducted half a star because the film fails to show Ian's genius.

Here are the lyrics to Joy Division's best known song, written by Ian Curtis.

She's Lost Control

Confusion in her eyes that says it all,
She's lost control.
And she's clinging to the nearest passer by,
She's lost control.
And she gave away the secrets of her past,
And said, "I've lost control again",
And of a voice that told her when and where to act
She said, "I've lost control again".

And she turned around and took me by the hand
And said, "I've lost control again",
And how I'll never know just why or understand,
She said, "I've lost control again",
And she screamed out kicking on her side
And said, "I've lost control again",
And seized up on the floor, I thought she'd die,
She said, "I've lost control".

She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.

Well I had to phone her friend to state my case
And say, she's lost control again,
And she showed up all the errors and mistakes,
And said, "I've lost control again",
But she expressed herself in many different ways,
Until she lost control again,
And walked upon the edge of no escape,
And laughed, "I've lost control".

She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.