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Joy Division helped define a musical era, opening the gate to the electronic age amid halting lyrics of hits such as "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Shadowplay." Their time together was cut short when lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide the night before the band was to go on its first North American tour. It has been 27 years since Curtis died. For those too young to remember Joy Division or Curtis' death, a contemporary version would be the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994.
Perhaps enough time has passed for the players involved that they're ready to tell the story. Fans of the band -- indeed, anyone with an appreciation for modern music -- may be excited to see two Joy Division-related films screening at the festival this year. "Control" is a black-and-white biopic by celebrated photographer Anton Corbijn, whose previous directing experience was music videos. The film is a perfect companion piece to Grant Gee's documentary "Joy Division."
In death, Curtis has become an enigma. Adding to the mythology is that there exists little footage of him, except for some grainy images, two albums, and artefacts and memories saved by those around him. But no one really knows the man, said Sam Riley, who plays Ian Curtis in "Control."
"The fact that he took his life at 23 is compelling and fascinating and I think that's why young people are still interested," he said in an interview. "Because the music is incredible, his lyrics are phenomenal for that age that he was, at any age really."
Peter Hook, the bassist, thinks Curtis would have been "grateful" for the band's success, but wouldn't have liked that people were upset by his death.
What do you think about Ian Curtis, his legacy and why he has achieved more fame in death than when he was alive?
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