When I first heard they were making a film based on Ian Curtis’ life, I thought it was a terrible idea. After all, this is a very delicate subject held near and dear to many Joy Division and New Order fans, and the story could easily be mangled, glamorized and/or sensationalized, just to be served up to the masses for popular consumption.

Ian Curtis was the singer and sometimes guitarist of legendary post-punk band Joy Division, who killed himself in 1980 right before their first U.S. tour. Ian Curtis was a troubled yet iconic performer who suffered from epilepsy, occasionally even on stage.

But then I found out the screenplay is actually based on the book Touching From a Distance by Curtis’ widow. She also co-produced the film alongside the (recently) late Tony Wilson, founder of Factory Records, who also gave Joy Division their break. These circumstances give the film its legitimacy as well as some gravity. Some interesting facts about the film include: Sam Riley, who plays lead as Ian Curtis, also appeared as Mark E. Smith in 24 Hour Party People. And, all live performances in the film were preformed by the actors themselves… no stock footage was used. Also notable is director Anton Corbijn, who had been a huge fan of the band since the late 70s, had also directed their video for the song Atmosphere 8 years after Curtis’ death, and it still serves as a sort of memorial to him.

Now I can’t wait to see it! The film opens October 10th. For now, please enjoy both the beautiful and haunting video and the film trailer.

Video for Atmosphere

Control- Film Trailer

Buy the Soundtrack for Control at Amazon.com