I've had enough tormented musician ex-boyfriends, though fortunately for
me they never it made it big, never got me pregnant and never hung
themself by a closeline. As much as Ian Curtis was a talented and confused
soul, I felt that "Control" contectualized his story as opposed to
glorifying his life and choices. I have many times found myself wanting to
be part of the band of characters in films like Almost Famous and The
Doors. I have always wanted to play a quintessential role in a band and no
I don't mean the groupie. However after watching Control I was reminded of
all the shit that went along with it and that in the end its not all its
cracked up to be.
Although most people liked 24 Hour Party People, I didn't. Maybe it was
because the idea of having to be in a room with a douche like Tony Wilson
threw me off but in all reality I don't feel that Ian Curtis was explored
in the film correctly. Sam Riley embodied him well but to my recollection,
he sings a song, has an epileptic fit then committs suicide only for
Wilson to say something nasty at his funeral. Maybe Curtis was an idiot
for taking his own life but I do think that his life and Joy Division's
contribution to Facotry Records should have been more emphasized in this
film.
Control only neglected two things for me when it comes to showing who Ian
Curtis was. First his childhood and family life. There are only two scenes
including his parents and we never get a feel for them. Despite being
offered a scholarship, Curtis never took his academic abilities anywhere
despite his talent for writing but this is left out. More time is spent on
Curtis and his friend at an older woman's house finding prescription
drugs, however that is the only scene in the film dedicated to drug use
that isn't part of Ian's epilepsy, though drugs and mainly alcohol played
a role in his downward spiral. I suppose as a director Corbijn choose to
focus on certain things, along with Debbie Curtis' book and Curtis' main
problems was his depression, relationships and epileptic fits.
What bothered me most in the film was the relationship between Debbie, Ian
and his mistress Annik. Being based on Debbie Curtis book I thought more
symphathy would go along with her character, played by Samantha Morton but
her naive and passive choices made me dispise her as much as I did Ian. I
feel that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" has just become another clique in the
world of dead musicians but Control made me realize why this sentence is
so true. And no it isn't some glamorized truth about love and tortured
souls, its about people who make poor and selfish decisions and how they
effect those around them. Musicians are people too and just because they
overdose, drown or hang themselves doesn't mean that their legacy trumpts
their mistakes.
