Control (2007)

"Control" is a 2007 British biographical film that chronicles the life of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the influential post-punk band Joy Division. It focuses on his rise to fame, his struggles with epilepsy, his failing marriage, and his tragic suicide in 1980 at the age of 23.

The director, Anton Corbijn, who was a renowned photographer before directing the film, chose to shoot in black-and-white to mirror his own iconic photographs of Joy Division from the late 1970s. The stark monochrome also reflects the gloomy, industrial atmosphere of the band's home city of Manchester, England.

The role of Ian Curtis is played by Sam Riley, a British actor who had previously been primarily known as the lead singer of the indie rock band 10,000 Things. Riley's critically acclaimed performance required him to accurately mimic Curtis's distinctive baritone singing style and his erratic, spasm-like stage dancing.

The film is based on the 1995 memoir "Touching from a Distance," written by Ian Curtis's widow, Deborah Curtis. The book provided an intimate and unflinching look at their troubled marriage and Ian's personal struggles, serving as the primary framework for Matt Greenhalgh's screenplay.