Control [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment
Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (21st August 2025).
The Film

"Control" (2007)

While attending a show by the up and coming punk band Sex Pistols, Ian Curtis (played by Sam Riley) meets up with former schoolmates who are forming a band and looking for a singer. Ian volunteers, and the new four piece band with Ian on vocals, Bernard Sumner (played by James Anthony Pearson) on guitar, Peter Hook (played by Joe Anderson) on bass, and Stephen Morris (played by Harry Treadaway) on drums, they start a fast paced punk band with the name Warsaw, but quickly rename themselves as Joy Division. Ian is trying to balance his creative life with his personal one as well as with his full time job. His wife Deborah (played by Samantha Morton) feels left out from his music life even though she tries to be supportive of his direction. Ian’s job working in the civil sector as an employment agent for citizens, but the late nights with the band, the struggles with making his home life work is taking a toll on him mentally and emotionally.

"Control" is a music biopic of Joy Division - one of the most influential rock bands in music history, and quite impressive that they left such a lasting legacy considering that they only released two studio albums during their four year run, abruptly ending with the tragic suicide of singer Ian Curtis on May 18th, 1980. While they were influenced by the newly emerging British punk scene of the era with fast chords and intense drumming, they were also influenced by the German Krautrock scene with bands such as Neu!, Can, and Kraftwerk with the use of electronics and repetition. In addition there was the influence of the recent sounds of David Bowie in his Berlin period and the solo career of Iggy Pop that aided to the shaping of Joy Division’s sound. Rather than going in the louder angst route as many punk bands were, their sound focused more on the dark and brooding form, like a small source of light lost in the darkness. Curtis’ vocals ranged from shouts to lower end whispers which made it hard to hear the lyrics clearly. While they were initially categorized as punk with their sound, their music was a bridge between punk and a multitude of genres to come. Goth rock, industrial, new wave, 90s alternative rock, dance rock to name a few are all indebted to what Joy Division did, and it would be hard to find a rock band in the last forty years that was not inspired by their sound.

"Control" was a life long dream project for famed photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn, who established his name through the music scene in the 1980s and 1990s with his use of stark black and white photography with extreme focus and out of focus elements, as well as music videos for bands such as Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Nirvana, U2, and more. He was also in Manchester to witness Joy Division’s rise, working as a photographer and was actually present during the band’s one and only music video shoot for “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, shot at the Factory Records recording space.

The 1995 memoir “Touching from a Distance”, written by Curtis’ widow Deborah was the basis for the screenplay which was written by television writer Matt Greenhalgh as his first for a feature length film. Deborah Curtis was involved with the film and its adaptation and is credited as a co-producer. While the book is told through her perspective as a young wife and eventually a mother that was struggling with her husband’s sudden rise to fame as well as his health issues both physical and mental. But the film is told almost entirely through the eyes of Ian Curtis, chronologically from his school days as a teen, his marriage to Deborah, and the journey that he and his bandmates took in creating their sound. Sam Riley, who was a relative unknown at the time does a marvelous job embodying Ian Curtis. Not only does he have a resemblance, he perfectly mimicked the singer’s odd dancing style and vocal range, and it was helpful that Riley was the lead singer of the band 10,000 Things, which disbanded a year before the making of the film. While he had experience in music, the other actors playing the rest of Joy Division, James Anthony Pearson and Harry Treadaway did not have a musical background, but had to play the band’s guitarist and drummer respectively. Joe Anderson did play the guitar, but he had to switch to playing bass to portray Peter Hook. Rather than synching to pre-recorded tracks by Joy Division, the four actors played every note themselves in character, and do an incredible job in the music sequences.

Another standout is Toby Kebbell, who played the band’s eventual manager Rob Gretton, with his quick witted remarks and sarcastic attitude. Craig Parkinson as the legendary television presenter and eventual founder of Factory Records Tony Wilson is also great in his portrayal. The two female leads were Samatha Morton and Deborah Curtis and Alexandra Maira Lara as Annik Honoré, the Belgian journalist that Ian infamously had an affair with. Although the film uses Deborah Curtis’ memoir as the base, her part is relatively small in comparison to the band and their time on screen. While Morton does a great job with the emotional turmoil that the nearly estranged wife goes through, it is more on the lean side. In addition, the character of Annik is not particularly explored further as to her attachment to the Ian Curtis story. Interesting to note that Riley and Lara became a real life couple after the film, marrying a year later.

Corbijn felt that the film should be captured in black and white, as the image of the grey skies of England was part of the image he felt when first moving there in the 1970s. In addition, Joy Division was mostly known for their black and white imagery from their two albums, as well as many of their publicity shots being monochrome. It was also a way to showcase the story as a look into the past from a modern perspective. Experimenting with cinematographer Martin Ruhe, it was decided to shoot on color 35mm film, then grade it to black and white in post production. The music would use a mixture of songs performed by the real Joy Division from past recordings, with the actors in character performing themselves during the performance scenes, as well as period cues from The Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Kraftwerk, and others. While this was the first biopic to focus on Joy Division, it was not the first time the story was told on screen. Five years prior, the acclaimed “24 Hour Party People” focused on the life of Tony Wilson, with Steve Coogan playing Wilson in an unforgettable performance. While there is some overlap with the story, such as Wilson signing the Joy Division contract with his own blood and the tragic suicide of Curtis, the film’s focus on the band is only part of the story.

The film was produced independently for $6.4 million, with Corbijn providing half of the budget with his own money. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17th, 2007, followed by other festival appearances worldwide the rest of the year. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on October 5th, 2007. It also received theatrical releases in the United States, Australia, and other countries throughout the end of 2007 and into 2008, grossing just over $9 million. Highly praised by both film and music critics, there was high praise for Riley’s performance, Corbijn’s direction and won numerous awards including 6 British Independent Film Awards, 3 London Critics Circle Film Awards, and more. It was released on DVD around the world and later on Blu-ray in select countries. While the Australian DVD from 2008 was released by Madman Entertainment, this new 2025 Blu-ray comes from Umbrella Entertainment for both a new generation of Joy Division fans and for old fans that will never get too tired or too old to hear their music again.

Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray

Video

Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The film was shot on 35mm color film, then converted to black and white in the post production stage. The HD transfer looks excellent with a crisp black and white image throughout, with great grey tones as well as deep blacks and bright whites. Film grain is very minimal, almost looking like a digital production rather than film, though there doesn't appear to be any artificial sharpening involved. Framing is correct and detail is great for a pleasing transfer throughout. This doesn't appear to be a new master but a transfer of an existing HD master, most likely created when the film was made. While it might me nearly two decades old now, it still looks great.

The film's runtime is 121:53.

Audio

English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English LPCM 2.0 stereo

There is a lossless 5.1 audio track as well as a downmixed uncompressed 2.0 stereo mix. Dialogue is almost always centered and is well balanced against the music and effects. Being a music centered film, the sound design for surround is absolutely crucial and the lossless 5.1 track is excellent. During the live sequences the instruments and the crowd cheering are used effectively to envelop the viewers, and the various music cues from Iggy Pop, Kraftwerk, as well as Joy Division originals sound great throughout. There are no issues of dropout, hiss, or other damage to be found in the audio. The 2.0 track is fine but one should go with the 5.1 track if capable.

There are optional English HoH subtitles for the film in a white font, which are easy to read and well timed.

Extras

Audio commentary by director/producer Anton Corbijn
Corbijn discusses in detail about the period in time and recreating the events. He talks about the actors and their performances both as characters and as a real band performing as Joy Division, the use of handheld cameras for live sequences, having the songs played reflect the actions on screen, the cameo appearances and references, as well as his own memories with Joy Division at the time, including when he was on the set of their music video "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

"Graham Duff on Control" 2025 video essay (17:37)
This excellent new video essay has Graham Duff discussing in detail his own connection to Joy Division, getting into them at an early age, working at Factory Records in their video department and what the atmosphere was like. With illustrated clips from the film, he talks about the band's career, about Factory Records and Wilson, as well as the connections to the slightly parallel film "24 Hour Party People" and the differences between reality and the slightly fictionalized film version of the Joy Division story told in "Control".
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

"The Making of Control" featurette (23:25)
This featurette includes interviews with Corbijn, Greenhalgh, the actors and others plus behind the scenes footage and clips of the film. Talked about are shooting in black and white and capturing the era, the adaptation of the book and working with Deborah Curtis, the actors and their character portrayals, difficulties faced, and more. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

"I Witness Report: Joy Division Live" 2025 featurette (20:37)/
This new featurette has remotely conducted interviews by musicians Mark Refoy, David Knight and Mark Hoyle plus psychologist John Blackett (Psychologist) each discussing their recollections of seeing Joy Division live and how the band and the music impacted their lives.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

"Joy Division" 2007 documentary by Grant Gee (99:50)
Filmmaker Grant Gee is known for his extensive music video and music documentary works, and this 2007 documentary feature is an official look at Joy Division's history, their break into fame, and their all too quick tragic end, told through the three surviving band members as well as Tony Wilson, Annik Honoré, other musicians from the post punk period and more. Using interview clips, television footage, rare bootleg amateur films and vintage photos, it covers a truthful look into the legendary band's career. While "Control" is quite faithful, there are some instances of artistic license and condensing of events together for dramatic purposes. Tony Wilson passed away on August 10th, 2007, a month before the documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and his passing is dedicated in the end credits. Annik Honoré passed away on July 3rd, 2014 at the age of 56 from cancer. The transfer is from a standard definition source, upscaled to HD. Note the documentary was released on DVD and is making its Blu-ray debut here, though in an upscaled form.
in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo without subtitles

Extended Live Performances (9:11)
- "Leaders of Men"
- "Transmission"
- "Candidate"

Presented here are three fully uncut performances by the actors in character. The first is when they perform as their “Warsaw” incarnation. The second is a recreation of their first television performance. The third is the club performance. They are presented in black and white and in the theatrical aspect ratio. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

Interview with actor Sam Riley (11:13)
This EPK interview with Riley has him discussing about the character, getting the role, his relationship with the other cast members, meeting Deborah Curtis and the challenges of the role. Portions of this interview were edited to create the "Making Of" featurette above. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

Interview with actors Joe Anderson, James Anthony and Harry Treadway (the band) (9:28)
This EPK interview has the three other band member actors interviewed together, as they discuss about their characters, meeting the real band members before the production, learning the instruments and playing for real, and more. Portions of this interview were edited to create the "Making Of" featurette above. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

Interview with director/producer Anton Corbijn (10:44)
This interview with Corbijn has him discussing about the film in hindsight, the screening for Cannes, the period setting and the black and white grading, the reaction from the surviving members of the band, the time promoting the film and more. Portions of this interview were edited to create the "Making Of" featurette above. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

B-roll Footage (14:11)
Presented here is color behind the scenes footage from the making of the film, with the first half being the outdoor location in front of the Curtis' home and the latter half being the band performing live. It is interesting to see these scenes in color and it certainly gives the film a completely different look and feel. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

Photo Gallery
Presented here is an automated slideshow gallery of production photos by Corbijn in black and white backed with sound from the actors performing “Candidate”, which is also in the above “Extended Live Performances”. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film.
in 480i MPEG-2, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles

Trailer (1:45)
The great original theatrical trailer along with numerous magazine quotes is presented here. Note this was originally available on various DVD releases of the film. The trailer has also been embedded below.
in 480i MPEG-2, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles




As stated, the film was first released on DVD back in 2008 by various companies worldwide, each with some slight differences in extras. There were also Blu-ray releases in select countries, again each with some differences in extras. This Umbrella Entertainment release carries over all the previously released extras from the Madman DVD. Some previously released extras, such as the real Joy Division performances from vintage TV shows and The Killers' music video made for the film found on the US DVD are not ported here. Also the "Atmosphere" music video, which Corbijn directed in 1988 following Joy Division's compilation album "Substance" is oddly not ported. In addition, the "Joy Division" 2007 documentary DVD releases had some extended interview segments which have not been ported to this release. But this new Blu-ray does have the excellent new video essay, which is the only new exclusive to the release.


Other notable clips:


"Atmosphere" music video directed by Anton Corbijn


Joy Division's music video for "Love Will Tear Us Apart"


Interviews with Morrissey and George Michael on Joy Division


Henry Rollins on Joy Division


Joy Division performing "Transmission"


Joy Division performing "She's Lost Control"


Joy Division performing "Shadowplay"


A comparison between the real performances by Joy Division and the scenes recreated in "Control"


The Killers' cover of "Shadowplay" from the "Control" soundtrack


New Order's cover of "Shadowplay" from 2019


Anton Corbijn's Criterion Closet picks

Packaging

The disc is packaged in a clear keep case with a reversible inlay. The artwork is identical, except the Australian MA 15+ rating logos are removed on the opposite side. The packaging states the disc is region B only, but is in fact region ALL. It also states the 2.0 audio track is DTS-HD MA, but is in fact an LPCM track. It also states the runtime as 127 minutes when it is exactly 121:53.

It is also available with a slipcover exclusively at the Umbrella Webshop.

There is also a Collector's Edition exclusively at the Umbrella Webshop, limited to 1000 copies which also includes:
- A 48 page book with behind-the-scenes, experiences and art with essays by John Robb, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Everett True
- Custom designed rigid case and slipcover
- 8 artcards
- A3 reversible poster

The booklet starts with the essay "A Portrait of a Post-Punk as a Young Man" by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on the film, the music scene, and the band. The next essay is "From Post-Industrial to Post-Punk: How Joy Division Not Only Reinvented Music But Ultimately a City" by John Robb, looking at the band's influence on Manchester. Then there is "Reflections on Joy Division" by Everett True, an essay on the band's music which was originally written twenty years ago and recently updated. There are also stills and booklet credits included. The eight artcards are on rigid cards, featuring black and white stills from the production. The reversible poster is not of theatrical posters, but one side having all four actors in character sitting on a a sofa, and the other side with a still of Riley singing. Both are production stills. The poster is folded and held in the keep case, which includes the slipcover. The case along with the artcards and booklet are housed in a rigid slipcase with its own design.

Overall

"Control" is a great biopic of one of the most influential though short lived bands of all time, showcasing the emotional and mental struggles, with a great visual look and sound with the iconic music recreated. Umbrella Entertainment's Blu-ray is an excellent one, with a great transfer and a lengthy selection of extras. Highly recommended.

Umbrella Webshop link (standard / slipcover edition)

Umbrella Webshop (Collector's Edition)


And here is an excuse to show off my own Joy Division vinyl, though not in the best condition with the used pickups:


"Unknown Pleasures" (1979), 1989 US pressing by Qwest Records, promo version with the gold stamp, with some ring damage on the sleeve



"Love Will Tear Us Apart" 12" Factory Records, with some damage to the sleeve



"Substance" (1988) Factory Records



"Permanent" (1995) double vinyl, London Records, though sadly without the lithograph



"Transmission" 7" single, Factory Records, with slight warping

The Film: A- Video: A- Audio: A Extras: A Overall: A-

 


Rewind DVDCompare is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon Europe S.a.r.l. Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co.uk, amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.fr, amazon.de, amazon.it and amazon.es . As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.