The title of Grant Gee’s latest ‘rockumentary’ leads one to assume that his film is the definitive look at Joy Division. Released on the heels of Anton Corbijn’s own Ian Curtis biopic ‘Control’, the two act as great complimentary companion pieces. While Corbijn’s movie deals mostly with Curtis’ relationship juggling and inner-turmoil, ‘Joy Division’ gives us a much broader look at the formation of the band and its subsequent critical and commercial success. (It’s interesting to note that Ian’s wife Deborah, a major character in ‘Control’, appears here only in blocks of quoted text taken from her book.)

Unlike most films of this sort, there’s little dependence on music critics telling us where they were when Joy Division shook their reality and changed music forever. Such hyperbole typically rides on my nerves. In this case, I think we’re given a realistic impression of Joy Divisions affect on the music industry, and more interestingly, the bands involvement in the growth of the Manchester music scene. Throughout the film, we’re introduced to the many locales that played a role in the bands progression, most of which no longer exist. I suppose it’s simply an extension of the theme of modernization that clearly hovers over the film. The cool thing is how it applies to both the band and their hometown. The description of Joy Division’s music as a ’science-fiction’ version of Manchester works quite well. I’ve always been interested in films, or in this case music, that simply capture the tone of science-fiction, without the real use of any tech-talk or space travel. See Werner Herzog’s Fata Morgana or Lessons of Darkness.

There were a couple of points in the film in which some serious deja vu set in. This is probably due to the fact that two scenes in particular; the pre-Warsaw introduction to punk at a Sex Pistols gig and Ian’s epileptic seizure within a car full of his band mates, has been reproduced in three films now; 24 Hour Party People, Control and this very documentary. Although all three films cover these events successfully, it feels less cliched coming directly from the mouths of those involved. And this, for me, is where Joy Division trumps Control. What’s better than seeing the real people tell the real story? Speaking of the real people; the majority of this film is made up of talking heads. Luckily, Gee uses some avante guard editing techniques and abstract visuals to keep things interesting, without getting too artsy fartsy. Layers upon layers of bleak city scapes, out of focus street lights, and of course, the image of Ian Curtis. Thankfully, he’s smart enough to let the performance footage speak for itself, un-manipulated.

Joy Division fans will likely get something out of both films, as I did, while those who couldn’t care less might be better off sitting out for this one.

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