Behind a name

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2007)

It's surprising what a name can hide, what a word defines and what it leaves out. "Control" brings some light to late vocalist Ian Curtis, the man itself, behind Joy Division.What is often spoken is that he had a tragic death at the age of 24 with a suicide that ended a rather complicated life. Not being a true fan of J. Division and not knowing what it was about i was surprised by the young boy hiding behind that name, trying to find out his way through live the best he could. His youth mirrors every aspect of his life, from the impetuous choices he made to the early marriage and fatherhood or the passionate/silent relation with Annik. That's the center key for the whole movie, watching a young man trying to shape itself, trying to grow, coping with life, becoming aware of choices and trying, just trying, to be in control. All of this with a troubled personality. The black&white cinematography works perfectly to portray the dismayed dormitory cities in England's 1970's, pure urban voids where nothing interesting seemed to possibly grow; and surprisingly the background for cult bands of that time. It seems he never left those places.