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Contains very strong language and suicide references
"You were always looking for beauty because it was such an ugly place", reflects Bernard Sumner, as images of rubble, grime and high rise flats of 1970s Manchester linger on screen during the opening minutes of Grant Gee's fascinating documentary. From the city's urban deprivation emerged an underground music revolution and one of the most seminal bands in musical history - Joy Division, a band that created a whole new musical landscape despite only releasing two studio albums ('Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer') before lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide on May 18, 1980.
Thought-provoking and genuinely heartfelt, 'Joy Division' is a riveting watch whether you're a fan or not, primarily down to the frankness with which remaining band-members Sumner, Stephen Morris and Peter Hook recount their experiences and sense of helplessness as they witnessed their singer's epileptic fits and mental breakdown. Particularly poignant is the moment when Peter Hook's eyes glaze over as he confesses his regret at not going to Curtis's wake: "I just wanted to go to the pub with my mates, not see a dead body."
"INCREDIBLY MOVING"
Director Gee wisely keeps voiceover to a minimum, letting the band and those involved in their story do the talking, including the late Factory Records owner Tony Wilson, photographer/film-maker Anton Corbijn (director of the acclaimed Curtis biopic Control) and a revealing account from Belgian journalist Annik Honore speaking for first time about her relationship with the singer. Together with a mix of unseen archive gig footage, extracts from audio interviews and a spine-tingling soundtrack representing their musical legacy, 'Joy Division' is an incredibly moving and insightful document that captures the spirit and chemistry of a band whose music feels as fresh and exciting today as it did thirty years ago.
Joy Division is out in the UK on 2nd May 2008.
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