Joy Division

A hauntingly beautiful account of the rise of the band Joy Division. As a half-interested fan, I expected not to be too impressed, but I was completely drawn in and mesmerised by the story. As others have noted, it makes a perfect companion piece to 'Control'. Definitely recommended for anyone who has ever heard and enjoyed a Joy Division song.

Obviously, this is filtered somewhat through the views of those who appear (and thus arguable how much is "true"), but in my view it's one of the best music documentaries I've ever seen, and very much reminded me why the band were so interesting at the time. I had a cassette with Unknown Pleasures on one side and Closer on the other, and played little else for a while - so well did it capture the mood of the times.

This film is very well put-together, making the best of the limited original source material, interspersed with well-lit interviews and extracts from Deborah's excellent book. Sad though to see how many others have died even since the making of this.

This is a movie that is good from beginning to end. Of course the main focus is on Ian Curtis as it should be and there is some rare stuff on show here including a recording of Bernard Sumner hypnotising Curtis.

Some rare performances add to the quality of this movie which is essential to any fan of the band.

In June 4, 1976 at a Sex Pistols show in Manchester, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook decide to form a group. Ian Curtis joins the band and drummer Stephen Morris answers their ad. They named their punk band Joy Division from its Nazi origins. Local TV personality Tony Wilson champions the group and DJ Rob Gretton starts managing the band.

The great thing about this documentary is the sense of time and place and the rundown depressing industrial city of Manchester. It has the cooperation of all the main people. It takes the band's progression chronologically. For fans of the band, this is a joy to relive the times. It's mostly about the music. Ian's wife Deborah gives some text inserts. She's the main missing part. She could have provided more personal insights into Ian's psyche. This one sees his struggles more from the outside and through his music. The bandmates are mostly clueless or maybe they're just willfully ignorant. It's compelling how they deal with the shock of it all.

The only shortcoming perhaps of this documentary, is that it didn't range too far beyond the context of the group and into the rest of the music scene at the time. However that is a valid choice for the film-maker. There was a lot of ground to cover, and fans will appreciate the depth and attention paid to the music and live footage.

The film zeros in on the dynamic formation and growth of this seminal band, and particularly the increasing struggles of fated lead-singer, Ian Curtis. This was handled with surprising candor and integrity, no small accomplishment.

Those with only a basic knowledge of the role Joy Division played in the renewal of both the post-punk music scene and Manchester will find this an informative documentary. In addition to retrospectives by all remaining band members, a well-balanced range of contributers comment on everything from the scene, to music production and cover art design, to the cultural influences behind the band's unique style.