Joy Division (2007)

an intelligently-done documentary

As an owner of the Heart And Soul box set, it was enlightening to see this very well done documentary of the band, to learn about the people behind the music. In years past, there seemed to be a kind of instinctive denial of the tragic event of May, 1980, and this dvd dispels that and shows the anguish of the other people affected and sheds more light on the possibilities of why it happened. As far as the music goes, with Joy Division's music there is very little "filler", just about every track packs a punch and you rarely see that in a popular music context. September 1, 2008

A Great Comedy

A bunch of guys from Manchester pretending they were the Doors.

Painful for anyone who isn't a fan.


August 17, 2008

Best Joy Division Film out of the Three

Between "24 Hour Party People," Anton Corbijn's feature "Control," and Grant Gee's documentary "Joy Division," I think Gee's docu is the best. "24 Hour" sets the stage, delineating the context of Madchester in the early 80s and Tony Wilson's patronage as the Medici of the Northwest, discovering Joy Division/New Order. It's the most fun.

Grant Gee's "Joy Division" is informative and rich, with a lot more to give than the very limited feature "Control." The documentary focuses on outstanding faces, in crisp black and white, filtered through Final Cut Pro - it's a tasty, original and restrained blend of a music video and straight-up talking head interviews. As each new speaker is introduced, Gee brings up his or her face in soft focus behind their name-title. As the name fades from the screen and they begin to talk, the face snaps into focus.

The personalities are priceless - the surviving members of the band are honest and bare-faced, not "rockstar" at all, never mind that as the ultra-hip New Order they had the best-selling 12" single in history with "Blue Monday." They're fabulous to watch and listen to. The historic footage of Ian Curtis shows us his sculpted white-marble features, the full mouth of Michelangelo's David, punctuated by icy blue eyes - someone in the film says his eyes were "translucent." One in a million, that face.

Annik Honore, Ian Curtis's Belgian girlfriend, is articulate and open, glamorous and ethereally beautiful. If she broke up his marriage, one of the catalysts of Curtis's final breakdown, it's easy to understand her pull on him. Curtis's wife Deborah does not appear on screen, though her writing does.

Producer Martin Harnett, caricatured in "24 Hour Party People" by Andy Serkis (the voice of Gollum in "Lord of the Rings") as a nasty, portly drunk, is slender and wiry in the historic footage, very on. He was a co-developer of the AMS digital delay box, which he used for Joy Division's distinctive drum sound. It's not just the funky off-beats that the drummer employed - it's that instant spatial reverb SOUND that's such a sharp turn away from Punk. That's the real Harnett, not the cartoon version.

Peter Saville, Factory Records' graphic designer, looks more like a glamorous British actor than anyone has the right to, and has the resonant voice as well - his contribution was to put a brand-new graphical Modern look on what became Post Punk - a new direction just as the music took a new turn, evolving with Joy Division through New Order.

Saville's girlfriend at the time was Martha Ladly, the lanky blonde Canadian who was one of the two Marthas in Toronto's Martha and the Muffins. After leaving the Muffins and moving to England, she sang backup for the Associates on their masterpiece "Sulk" album. She appears in the Associates videos of the time, too, a foot taller than all the wee Scotsmen. It's her painting that Saville put on New Order's "1981 - Factus 8 - 1982" EP. Ladly was in charge of Peter Gabriel's groundbreaking Internet music efforts in the 1990s. Ian Curtis - New Order - Tony Wilson - Peter Saville - Martha Ladly: these people are gods. August 6, 2008

what's needed

attention,please.let's all agree this film is an important document and is certainly worth all the kind words offered so far.the next step is to urge the owner of the video of the plan k gig (mister nicholson of ikon&?)(the photographer,monsieur michel?)to release the entire concert on DVD for worldwide distribution.i'm sure questions of copyright and other legal niceties can certainly be surmounted.since a miniscule number of fans actually saw the lads in concert(and since the brussels one-off is possibly the only film extant other than the footage shot by mister boon)wouldn't it be great to have something everyone could appreciate for years to come-a consummately rocky band at the absolute top of its game at a prestige venue? August 3, 2008

First-person accounts, Manchester scene & Annik!!!

I was prompted to order this DVD after purchasing "Control". This is a first-hand account of what it was like to be in the band, what Manchester was like then, the psychological heritage, if you will, that made Joy Division what it was. There are interviews with all of the band members, Tony Wilson, Peter Saville and...ANNIK. Finally there she is and she is a sensitive, refined person who offers yet another angle on Joy Division and Ian Curtis. I wish Martin Hannett and Rob Gretton were still around to give their accounts. Actually, this documentary gives a fuller picture of all the players, not just of Ian, as it is customary in the JD mythification process. There are also several extra interviews and snippets that offer a lot more than a chronology of gigs and records. This documentary proves how much there is to Joy Division and how many more books and topics can be generated through the influence of this remarkable band. Martin Hannett deserves his own documentary, for one thing. This documentary offers "critical commentary" on the band, beyond just the customary awe. I have already watched it several times and I look forward to multiple (home) screenings. July 21, 2008

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