Control (2007)

Director:

Anton Corbijn

Writers:

Deborah Curtis (autobiography "Touching from a Distance")
Matt Greenhalgh (writer)

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23.

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Band | Hanging | Musician | New Wave Music

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 25 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Samantha Morton	...	Deborah Curtis
Sam Riley	...	Ian Curtis
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Annik Honoré
Joe Anderson	...	Peter Hook
Toby Kebbell	...	Rob Gretton
Craig Parkinson	...	Tony Wilson
James Anthony Pearson	...	Bernard Sumner
Harry Treadaway	...	Stephen Morris
Andrew Sheridan	...	Terry Mason
Robert Shelly	...	Twinny
Matthew McNulty	...	Nick Jackson
Ben Naylor	...	Martin Hannett
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Angus Addenbrooke	...	Colin
June Alliss	...	Corrine's mother
Paul Arlington	...	Hospital doctor
Monica Axelsson	...	Tony Wilson's girlfriend
Richard Bremmer	...	Ian's father
Eliot Otis Brown Walters	...	Footballing kid
Laura Chambers	...	Claire
John Cooper Clarke	...	Himself
Lotti Closs	...	Gillian Gilbert
James Fortune	...	MC
Herbert Grönemeyer	...	Public GP
Nigel Harris	...	Tramp
Nicola Harrison	...	Corrine Lewis
Margaret Jackman	...	Mrs. Brady
Mark Jardine	...	Other band manager
Joseph Marshall	...	Alan from Crispy Ambulance
Martha Myers Lowe	...	Ian's sister
Tanya Myers	...	Ian's mother
George Newton	...	Studio owner
Tim Plester	...	Earnest Richards
Mary Jo Randle	...	Debbie's mother
Joanna Swain	...	Maternity nurse
David Whittington	...	Chemistry teacher
Eady Williams	...	Baby Natalie

Directed by
Anton Corbijn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Deborah Curtis		autobiography "Touching from a Distance"
Matt Greenhalgh		writer

Produced by
Iain Canning	....	executive producer
Anton Corbijn	....	producer
Deborah Curtis	....	co-producer
Todd Eckert	....	producer
Lizzie Francke	....	executive producer
Megumi Fukasawa	....	co-producer
Peter Heslop	....	co-producer
Satoru Iseki	....	co-producer
Akira Ishii	....	executive producer
Korda Marshall	....	executive producer
Orian Williams	....	producer
Tony Wilson	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Joy Division
New Order

Cinematography by
Martin Ruhe

Film Editing by
Andrew Hulme

Casting by
Shaheen Baig

Production Design by
Chris Roope

Art Direction by
Philip Elton

Costume Design by
Julian Day

Makeup Department
Barbara Taylor	....	hair assistant
Barbara Taylor	....	makeup assistant
Jeremy Woodhead	....	hair designer
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup designer
Andy Seston	....	makeup daily (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Foster	....	second assistant director
Toni Staples	....	first assistant director
Katy Stenson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Josh Fifarek	....	set designer
Cassie Leedham	....	graphic designer
Chris Richmond	....	stand-by art director
Tim Stevenson	....	set constructor

Sound Department
Iain Anderson	....	adr recordist
Nick Baldock	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Baldock	....	supervising sound editor: UK
Ben Carr	....	adr recordist
Daniel Crowley	....	boom operator
Carl Edström	....	sound effects editor
Adele Fletcher	....	adr editor
Thomas Huhn	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Huhn	....	supervising sound editor
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Lucas Nilsson	....	foley artist
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer
Jonas Jansson	....	sound effects editor (uncredited?)

Visual Effects by
Mats Holmgren	....	digital colourist
Fredrik Nord	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Riky Ash	....	stunt coordinator
Riky Ash	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tim Battersby	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Robert Binnall	....	camera operator
Andy Clarke	....	best boy rigging gaffer
Rachel Clark	....	camera trainee
Warwick Drucker	....	key grip
Brian Fawcett	....	electrician
Christopher Ross	....	camera operator
Barry Squires	....	camera assistant
Owen Tooth	....	video tape operator
Julian White	....	gaffer
Sophie Wilson	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera

Casting Department
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Benjamin Till	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Maria Dahlin	....	post-production coordinator
Barry Moen	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Clarke	....	music editor
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Rod Patterson	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Lorraine Bagshaw	....	stand-in
Vicky Chapman	....	location assistant
Mel Churcher	....	dialect coach
Lee Clyne	....	unit medic
Helen de Winter	....	delivery coordinator
Zoe Flower	....	unit publicist
Dan Hodgett	....	location services
Rob Jones	....	location manager
Simon Jones	....	tranport coordinator: London
Hakan Kousetta	....	production legal advisor
Alastair Mackay	....	location assistant
Louise Melzack	....	additional floor runner
Keeley Naylor	....	unit publicist
Tina Pawlik	....	assistant production coordinator
Rachel Robey	....	production coordinator
Val White	....	script supervisor
Emma Yeomans	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Natalie Curtis	....	thanks
Josh Fifarek	....	special thanks
Martin Gore	....	special thanks (as Martin L. Gore)
Herbert Grönemeyer	....	thanks
Charles Hannah	....	special thanks
New Order	....	special thanks
Iggy Pop	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Becker Films
• Claraflora
• EM Media (executive production)
• NorthSee
• Three Dogs and a Pony
• Warner Music

Distributors

• Alliance (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Barbar Film (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• Capelight Pictures (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema Without Frontiers (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Daylight Films (2008) (Brazil) (all media)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• La Fabrique de Films (2007) (France) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures (2007) (UK) (all media)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Style Jam (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Chimney Pot, The

Other Companies

• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Art4noise  ADR recording
• Art4noise  dialogue editing
• Art4noise  sound post-production
• Cinema Investment  funding
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Ljudligan  sound post-production
• Offline Editing Company, The  post-production facilities
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA | Australia | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A | France:Unrated | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Sweden:7 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-13 | Australia:MA | Japan:PG-12 | USA:R | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK

Company:

Becker Films

Trivia:

According to Samantha Morton, the director mortgaged his house to raise finance for the film.

Quotes:

Ian Curtis: So this is permanence; love-shattered pride. What once was innocence, has turned on its side.

Movie Connections:

References On the Waterfront (1954)

Soundtrack:

Atmosphere

Depressingly Beautiful

For every icon, there is an unknown predecessor who paves the way. Before there was Kurt Cobain, there was Ian Curtis, lead singer of the post-punk band, Joy Division. 27 years after his tragic death, Curtis' incredible contribution to music is finally being recognized in Anton Corbijn's film, "Control." It's only fitting that Corbijn serve as director since it was his early photographs of Joy Division that reflected the band's dark, introspective songs. Corbijn went on to photograph and direct videos for such musical greats as U2, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, R.E.M. and Metallica.

With his first feature film, Corbijn avoids the pitfalls of many music video directors who inundate us with flashy and unnecessary edits and camera angles. Instead, he lets the stark black and white of the film tell the story of a lead singer tortured by epilepsy, guilt, depression and suicidal thoughts. The use of black and white also captures the factory town of Manchester, England in the late 1970s, a city crumbling under industrial and economic stress. Manchester has since rebounded and is once again thriving.

Curtis is played by relative newcomer, Sam Riley, who's quiet and unassuming approach portrays an artist inspired by his heroes, David Bowie and Iggy Pop. At a chance meeting following a Sex Pistols concert, Curtis bonds with three fellow musicians to form the band.

As Joy Division begins to flourish, Ian's relationship with his young wife, Deborah, continues to distance itself. Academy Award nominee, Samantha Morton plays the confused wife trying to understand her husband's depressed soul. The film is based on Deborah Curtis' autobiography, "Touching From A Distance", so it comes as a surprise that Morton's character does not have more scenes in the movie.

The key to Control is understanding Curtis' depression, which the film accomplishes to near perfection. As he battles epilepsy, the young singer lives in constant fear that his next seizure will be his last. His only option is to swallow a daily cocktail of prescription drugs with side effects so terrible, that most of us would rather tempt fate than endure the aftermath of the pills.

Ian's spirit is also tortured by overwhelming guilt brought on by an extra-marital affair with a part-time journalist, played by Romanian-born Alexandra Maria Lara.

The most telling scene comes when Ian records an in-studio track for the song "Isolation." While Curtis stoically sings into the microphone, his band mates are distracted with the normal banter that typically occurs in a studio.

"Mother, I tried, please believe me. I'm doing the best that I can. I'm ashamed of the things I've been put through. I'm ashamed of the person I am." The lyrics seem to fall on deaf ears except for those of the sound engineer who refers to it as "genius." But Ian's brilliance is also a desperate cry for help ignored by everyone in the studio.

The 27-year-old Riley does an excellent job of capturing Curtis' aloofness on stage. Singers such as Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and even the early years of Michael Stipe would often drift into the moment of the song. But when Curtis performed, he immersed himself into his own world where the music simply served as the soundtrack. Riley skillfully draws us into Ian's dark world with a range of subtle head movements and facial expressions to a whirling explosion of arm gyrations that came to personify the singer's stage performances.

Overwhelmed with grief, shame and depression, Ian finally succumbs to his demons at the young age of 23. He left behind a wife, a child and a musical legacy that is finally receiving its just rewards nearly three decades later.

For those looking for a story solely about Joy Division, Control may not be for you. But for those seeking an intuitive perspective into the anguished spirit of one of the most influential alternative bands in history, you will certainly find it in this depressing but incredibly beautiful film.