[Postpunk's Intermediate Force]
The narrative time of the film spans from Curtis, who was a teenager in 1973, to his death by suicide in 1980. Before that, he was still preparing for a sensational US tour. Formed in the period of the rapid awakening of British punk, the Happy Squad focused on embodying the state of mind instead of anger, unique style and dark atmosphere, becoming the first band in the post-punk movement, and still has a profound influence on British rock. The film mainly records the second half of Curtis's life, his relationship with his wife and girlfriend, his struggle with epilepsy, and how his band succeeded in music.
Before preparing to shoot this movie, Dutch director Anton Kobin is already a world-renowned rock photographer and music video director, and has long been a loyal fan of the Happy Squad. In the late 1970s, he began to cooperate with British singing groups and worked for many well-known bands such as U2. In order to get close to his idol, Cobin moved from his hometown to the UK in 1979. In November of that year, he personally took the first photo of the Happy Squad performing live. It is worth mentioning that this is a black and white photo, which seems to have set the tone of the film "Control". Because Cobin has known the Happy Squad for many years, he is also the MV director of their famous single "Atmosphere". It is precisely because of this familiarity, almost real film photography, that Cobin can accurately capture the charm of the characters and the dark atmosphere of that era.
[Recording History and Reality]
This film is adapted from the anthology "Touching From A Distance" written by Ian Curtis’s wife Deborah Curtis about his husband. The main part of the book is Records the time she spent with Ian. In addition, Deborah, who spared no effort, also personally acted as the producer of the film. However, the screenwriter of the film, Manchester writer Matt Greenhauen, is not limited to Deborah’s memories. In order to ensure the authenticity of the film, and hope to cover more content, he interviewed many movie-related characters. Including Annick Hornell, who never gives interviews.
The original soundtrack of the film was created by New Order in collaboration with Warsaw in the 1970s and the band later renamed Happy Squad. In addition, the soundtrack also used works by the British gorgeous rock band Roxy Music, the punk pioneer band The Buzzcocks, and the Velvet Underground (Velvet Underground), which were in line with the situation of that era. The combination of the film and the music is almost perfect. When the background music played on the band's own song "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Love Will Tear Us Apart), Ian and Deborah were standing on the street and saying they were breaking up. Jing couldn't help tears.
[Awakening the Sleeping Heart]
In the film, Deborah’s role is played by the Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton, and Ian Curtis’s role is played by the lesser-known actor Sa Played by Jim Reilly. Although he once played a small role in Michael Winterbottom's "24 Hours of Party Mania", playing the lead singer of The Fall (The Fall), Mark Smith, but in "Control" he played the leading role for the first time. In real life, Sam Reilly is also the lead singer of an indie band. In order to keep improving, he repeatedly watched the live video of the Happy Squad at the time, learned Ian Curtis’s unique robot dance poses, and deliberately spent time. Study the symptoms of epilepsy patients. It is precisely because of so hard work that the Ian he played can be vivid and full of gods and forms.
It’s not just the performance of the actors, it can be said that the performance of the whole film is very wonderful. This is not a stale rock music recording of the ups and downs, but a film that can drive the emotions of all audiences, and it is definitely not just those who love. Music people. "Control" allows us to see the struggle of a mortal, that is the take-off and shattering of dreams, in the face of love that cannot resist the temptation and the torture of an imperfect physical body.
2. Highlights:
·Because the music of the Happy Squad is easy to perform, and the actors know their songs so well, the passages of the band’s live performances seen in the movie are actually performed by the actors on the spot. Not from a recorded record.
·At the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007, Anton Cobin's biographical film based on Ian Curtis was widely acclaimed, and eventually won the "Golden Camera Special Award", and also won the new film director " Regards Jeunes" award, which rewards the director who directed the film for the first or second time, as well as the award for the best film in the European cinema line.
·The original English name of this film is Control, which is taken from a song "She's Lost Control" composed by Ian Curtis at the time. This is what he wrote after seeing a woman with epileptic seizures. No one thought that he would be diagnosed with the same disease shortly afterwards, which led to this last irreversible tragedy in life.
· Released at the same time as this biographical film, there are sneakers inspired by the creation of the Happy Squad. American artist Dylan Adair is the designer of these shoes, inspired by the cover design of the band's 1979 album "Unknown Pleasures". This pair of sneakers has distinctive sole patterns, tongues and other parts, all embossed according to the band's album inner page design, and also include the band's label Factory Records logo.
3. One sentence comment:
Cobinn’s film skillfully adopts black and white images with strong contrast, successfully transforming the gloomy coldness of the small town of Mark Leithfield into solemnity and greatness. ——The “British Guardian”
film tells the well-known story that the rock star in the period of rapid rise is incompatible with daily and traditional life, but Cobin did not turn a blind eye to this, or deliberately ignored the increasing deception of his widow Deborah As a result, the pain of being left aside. ——"Variety Magazine"
Anton Cobin's movie about Ian Curtis is very interesting and can move the soul. ——The most
important thing for the salon website is that every inch of film and every detail of "Control" is highly consistent, making people feel authentic and credible, which is difficult for ordinary music films to achieve. -"The Times"
This is an impressive film, and at the same time, it has an absolutely excellent photographer. He did not disappoint the audience of the film. The beautiful shots that traverse the entire film are displayed in a profound and powerful story complex and character discovery. Has gained his own strength. ——The Jury of the 60th Cannes Film Festival
4. Introduction: The
film began in 1973, when Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) was young and was a high school student with eyeliner. Students, they just shut themselves in the room and listen to the music of David Bowie and Lou Reid and others. To him, the lifeless town of Marklesfield in his hometown is like a silent prison, and only the gorgeous rock and roll burning in London is the antidote to indulgence of youth.
The famous band gunman's concert in Manchester in 1976 changed Curtis's life trajectory since then. Although he didn't know how to play guitar at the time, his tall figure was the best candidate for a rock vocalist. He met Bernard Sumner, Pete Hook and Stephen Morris, who had been looking for lead singers for a long time at the concert.
Later, the band was renamed Joy Division, and the agent Bob Griton was not only good at doing things, but also often making fun. Coupled with the frequent encounters with noble people along the way, the band has gradually become popular since then. During this period, Ian Curtis had to rehearse while working, which was very busy. As he entered the marriage hall prematurely, his feelings began to become hesitant, with his wife Deborah Curtis (Samantha Morton) on one side and his lover Anneke Hornell on the other.
Epilepsy hidden in the body at any time is also affecting his career development. In May 1980, on the eve of the US tour that finally started preparations, the desperate Ian Curtis hanged himself at home at the age of 23. That night, he was watching Werner Herzog's film "Struxi's Wanderings" and listening to Iggy Pope's album "Idiots".
View more about Control reviews
