Control Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Control Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 25, 2011

Winner of Camera d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Anton Corbijn's "Control" (2007) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Alliance. The supplemental features on the disc include two theatrical trailers; making of featurette; video interview with director Anton Corbijn; extended live concert performances from the film; music videos; and an audio commentary by director Anton Corbijn. In English, without optional subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Ian Curtis

Ian Curtis (Sam Riley, Brighton Rock), the lead singer of Joy Division, lived in two very different worlds. In the first, he was loved by two beautiful women, Debbie (Samantha Morton, Morvern Callar) and Annik (Alexandra Maria Lara, The Tunnel, Downfall). He married Debbie but felt a lot more comfortable with Annik. He tried being honest with both and eventually his life started spinning out of control.

In the second, Curtis suffered a lot. Right around the time when Joy Division started gathering momentum, he was diagnosed with epilepsy, which he treated with various drugs whose side effects were unpredictable. Curtis was constantly depressed and often in pain. When it became obvious that the drugs won’t help him, he started spending more time alone, away from the band, Debbie and Annik, his friends and fans.

Curtis poured his soul into his songs. When he was on stage, he gave everything, and people felt it. But those who worked with him demanded more and he could not handle the pressure. The seizures also intensified and eventually completely overwhelmed him. On May 18th, 1980, Curtis hanged himself.

Control is based on Deborah Curtis' book, Touching from a Distance, and is directed by Dutch helmer Anton Corbijn, a fan of Joy Division and their music who moved to England in 1979 to pursue a career as a photographer.

Shot in black and white, Control is hardly the definitive Joy Division film. There is a lot about the band that is not addressed in the film. The focus of attention is primarily on Curtis and his personal life, which rightfully or not Corbijn felt would reveal a lot more about Joy Division and their music.

The balance between style and substance is very good. The long episodes where Curtis is seen going back and forth between Debbie and Annik looking for emotional comfort and the sequences where he is seen trying to come to terms with his medical condition are very effectively enhanced by carefully selected Joy Division songs. As result, it is incredibly easy to understand how the pain and uncertainty in Curtis’ life affected the band’s maturation and their music.

Something else the film makes clear is that Curtis was never good at compromising, which is why he suffered so much. He poured his soul when he performed on stage and was incredibly honest with the two women that loved him, and when things started getting out of control - numerous times he collapsed in front of his fans; his marriage also started falling apart - he simply gave up.

The cast is exceptional. Riley, James Anthony Pearson (Bernard), Joe Anderson (Hooky), and Harry Treadaway (Steve) learned to play the Joy Division songs heard in the film so well that Corbijn did not have to tape the music for any of the live scenes. Riley is also particularly good during the long sequences where Curtis is seen alone contemplating his life.

Cinematographer Martin Ruhe’s lensing is notably elegant. However, Control is not a glitzy, overly sentimental, marred by clichés film. It is a realistic and more importantly very respectful film about a true rock star.

Note: In 2007, Control won Camera d’Or, Prix Regards Jeune, and Label Europa Cinemas Awards at the Cannes Film Festival. A year later, the film also won Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer (writer Matt Greenhalgh) at the BAFTA Awards.

Control Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Anton Corbijn's Control arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Alliance.

I really am quite impressed with this Blu-ray release. The high-definition transfer Alliance have used looks practically identical to the one Capelight Pictures used for their Blu-ray release of Control in Germany. Fine object detail is very good, clarity excellent (even during the poorly lit club scenes), and contrast levels consistent. The high-definition transfer also boasts fantastic depth and fluidity (see screencaptures #4 and 15). Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. I also did not see any traces of heavy noise reduction. Again, detail is excellent during close-ups and during the occasional panoramic scenes. Lastly, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. I also did not see large damage marks, cuts, stains, or debris. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Control Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, and French Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Alliance have not provided optional English subtitles. (There are only optional partial French subtitles, which only appear when certain locations are identified in English).

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is arguably the most impressive feature on this disc. It has a fantastic dynamic amplitude that truly opens up the entire film. The club scenes, for instance, sound terrific. The dialog is crisp, clean, and stable. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review. This being said, I am not giving the audio presentation a perfect score because Alliance should have offered optional English and French subtitles for the main feature. While some people are likely to disagree with me, I believe that at this point optional subtitles should be a mandatory feature on all Blu-ray releases.

Control Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making of - a standard featurette in which director Anton Corbijn explains what expired him to shoot a film about Joy Division. The featurette also contains various interviews with Korda Marshall from Warner Brothers Records, writer Matt Greenhalgh, and actors Sam Riley, James Pearson, Harry Treadaway, and Joe Anderson. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 480/60i).

• In Control: A Conversation with Anton Corbijn - director Anton Corbijn recalls how Control came to exist. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 480/60i).

• Extended Live Concert Performances From The Film -
  
  -- Transmission (4 min, 480/60i).
  -- Leaders of Men (3 min, 480/60i).
  -- Candidate (3 min, 480/60i).

• Music Videos -
  
  -- Transmission by Joy Division (1970) - (4 min, 480/60i).
  -- Atmosphere by Joy Division, directed by Anton Corbijn (1988) - (5 min, 480/60i).
  -- Shadowplay by The Killers (2007) - (5 min, 480/60i).

• Trailers - two theatrical trailers for Control. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

• Commentary - an audio commentary with director Anton Corbijn. In English, not subtitled.

Control Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Control is a fitting tribute for a true legend. It is exceptionally well acted and really beautifully lensed. Unfortunately, the film was never released on Blu-ray in the United States. However, Canadian distributors Alliance have put together a good package that is very easy to recommend. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.