A tale of human frailty

On the eve of its British release, Control has already cemented its position as one of the year's most intensely acclaimed movies, receiving plaudits and awards at the prestigious Cannes and Edinburgh film festivals.

The quality of the film is astonishing, especially as its director Anton Corbijn has ventured away from his career as rock photographer and videographer to pilot this, his first ever full-length feature. And leading light Sam Riley produces a mesmerising performance in his major acting debut.

Filmed in monochrome, Control chronicles the life of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis from his teenage years to his suicide by hanging in 1980 at the age of 23. The film is based on Touching From A Distance, the compelling account of Curtis's widow Deborah, who provided added authenticity to the feature in her role as co-producer.

The book and the film inhabit a different stratosphere to traditional rock biographies. The portrayal of gritty realism and human frailty is paramount in this faithful reconstruction of Curtis's short life, detailing his simultaneous struggles with epilepsy, perils of life on the road with a band fast gaining momentum and juggling marriage and fatherhood with the unwelcome confusion of an affair.

In her only interview since Control's world premiere, Deborah Curtis welcomes its visual depiction of Curtis's battles with epilepsy.

"I particularly like that it shows how the roadies took care of him and worried about him as he tried to carry on. Epilepsy can be managed and monitored and is not always a long-term illness, but there was and still is so little out there to help with any associated depression.

"Ian was surrounded by people who loved him, but, in the end, he was failed by the mental health service.

"The extra research (that Deborah undertook for the film) was enlightening regarding not just epilepsy but depressive illness as well. It's 27 years since Ian died and there is still a lack of finance for mental health services in this country."

Riley's portrayal of Curtis has left the most demanding fans of the band astounded by his astounding attention to detail.

The actors playing Joy Division rehearsed as a band initially to mime convincingly to original records, but later persuaded director Corbijn to capture them performing the songs live.

Incredibly, James Anthony Pearson - playing Bernard Sumner in the movie - had to learn the guitar from scratch in two weeks. Deborah is "seriously impressed" by this and reckons that the casting of the actors was a "masterstroke." She cites Riley's main strength as possessing "that raw, inexperienced quality that Ian had."

Deborah is portrayed on screen by the Oscar-nominated Samantha Morton.

"She's awe-inspiring and I was so pleased when she agreed to take the role. She used the book and her own experiences as a mother and made the part very much her own without my personal influence. I think she was right to stipulate that. I approve of her portrayal, but I was more timid than that. Had I been less accepting of Ian's behaviour and more pushy, I think that things would have come to a head sooner. That's not to say to a different conclusion."

The final scenes surrounding Curtis's suicide by hanging are hypnotically powerful. Corbijn's even, calm direction emphasises the raw emotion on screen, especially when Morton as Deborah screams for help holding their baby daughter Natalie.

Deborah recalls: "I didn't cry for help in that way. I was in shock and it was all I could do to call Pam, my neighbour.

"Apart from shouting her name, I was speechless. I couldn't even bring myself to tell her what I'd seen. I don't remember speaking for the rest of the day, but I suppose I must have. There were some scenes where I wasn't present on set, including that one. That scene was a difficult one, how to get across what it felt like isn't easy."

At a time when revived interest in the band is as its peak, the group's subsequent incarnation New Order have split. Their final work together comprises of three haunting instrumentals for the film.

Deborah muses: "Whatever their differences of opinion, they certainly didn't allow it to spoil their work on the film."

Control achieves the seemingly impossible task of appeasing both the casual onlooker and the dedicated fan with aplomb. It's a film that strips away the myth and glamour of the rock biopic and presents a captivating account of the life of one of post-punk's most electrifying performers.

An exquisite masterpiece.

Visit the Joy Division Central website www.joydiv.org for a full transcript of this interview.