Rollergirl was excited about it. Style Salvage was excited about it. Anybody worth their music salt was excited about it. Yup, the film, Control came out and I only just saw it a few days ago. Just in case you haven’t had the promos thrusted upon you (it could just be a London thing…), Control is the biopic film about Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis who committed suicide at the tender age of 23. The film is based on the book ‘Touching from a Distance’ by Deborah Curtis, widow of Ian.
The film is Anton Corbijn, a music video director who has taken his experience and added a very purposeful stylistic approach to the film. It’s filmed in very stark monochrome and yes the cinematography is as stunning as they say. However I’m still a little unsure whether the details of Curtis’ life, the involvement of the other members of other Joy Division and the finer emotional details were glossed over a little in favour of style. Sam Riley and Samantha Morton do stellar jobs of playing Ian and Deborah Curtis and the band’s own performances of the songs must be commended as other music biopics seem to be in favour of using dubbing…. (*ahem* La Vie en Rose…)
The fashion point of this post though is a tribute to Ian Curtis’ personal style that Style Salvage noted a while back. More to the finer point, both the boyf and I have been trying to figure out the material/structure of these jeans that Ian Curtis wore at a very early gig when the band was still called Warsaw in 1977. Questions ensued…
Are they leather trousers? That would have been my first guess as the time period would suggest so, but then upon closer inspection, they also look to be waxed denim (much like those Dior Homme sheeny jeans I so wanted…). Did shiny waxed denim even exist back in 1977? In the film, they used leather trousers to hint at this particular outfit but looking at this image, I’m not convinced…
Either way, leather or denim, they looked superb as worn by Curtis and it seems all pants shiny are making headwaves at Topshop so the quest for the exaggerated shiny pant (those black sequin ones that ppl have pointed out to me aren’t exactly the ones I wanted but thanks for the tip-offs anyway…) continues.
I’ll leave you with one of my fave Joy Division songs: She’s Lost Control (which is incidentally the inspiration behind Maaike Mekking’s AW07-8 collection which I talked up a while back…).
I can’t wait to watch this one, but does She’s Lost Control feature in the film? It’s one of my favourite Joy Division songs too…
Oops, just saw the Wikipedia page- the title of the film is apparently from the song.
Those pants kind of look a wee bit like pleather to me to be honest. There is a sort of dullness to them at the top that makes me think that and the way they hang….just my opinion though
No, not just a London thing…it’s playing here in NYC at a downtown indie film house; in fact they’re even adding extra late-night screenings – a midnight Joy Division immersion sounds pretty good! I have to say that I.C’s jeans in the image look more like leather to me, esp. along the seams/pocket/edge of fly. As for waxed denim back then I can’t say, but Belstaff were making their iconic, and much imitated, motorcycle gear back in the 20’s out of waxed cotton.
I LOVE Joy Division. They ar definitely my favourite band and I can’t wait to see this movie. Which probably will never come out in Canada…
I loved this movie!
Suzie, so funny! I started a post the other day on wardrobe mistakes in Control, then it sort of turned into an essay on it’s other flaws (despite the fact I LOVED the film). Anyway, I got busy and couldn’t finish it, but I just posted about on one of the biggest wardrobe mistakes in the film, that was doing my head in while I was watching it, which was a Members Only jacket mistake. I also wondered about the jeans, like you were speaking of, and I also thought the shoes were off a lot of the time. As in, they went out to Office or some other high street chain and grabbed some generic mens pointy shoes, instead of finding authentic late 70’s footwear. It’s really too bad.
Hmm, upon reading your post again, maybe you’re not pointing out historical wardrobe mistakes? The part where you questioned if waxed denim were available in 1977, made me think you were and I got excited thinking that someone else understands my frustration too! Haha.
-Claire
Well, I absolutely loved the film (esp. the raw sound of the performances) and as to whether it’s true to Ian Curtis’ life is beside the point really because it’s a film and not a doco.
Anyways, what I did want to say about the fashion is how incredulous I was how the indie boys of Shoreditch have been so directly influenced (aka ripped off) by that look. Sure, they might mix it up a bit with a bit of plaid, but jeez, they don’t try really hard, do they?
But hey, with long lean pins and the right look of tortured artist angst, it looks hot.
Susie: I often pass you as I’m walking to work of a morning. One of these days I’ll say hello. Bit shy.
Meg: Pleather never looked so good….;)
mgw: It’s not on nationwide release in the States, right?
Clare: I wish I was making a post about the costume flaws of the movie. Alas, seeing as my knowledge of Macclesfield attire in the late 70’s to early 80’s is pretty poor, I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the real McCoy and the high street copies….
I was just wondering whether Ian Curtis was wearing waxed denim in that picture…. in the film they aluded to the pic with leather trousers which would be periodically accurate right…or not? Gah… I’m rubbish…
Gill: Yes, I did like the film overall for the way it was filmed, but I thought they could have delved a little deeper into the emotional side of things, into Ian’s rapport with the band. For example you never got why he fell in love with Annik Honore and I’m sure their relationship was a lot more complex than what the film presented us with. My boyf said it felt like an extended music video (a very good one though…) and with Anton’s MTV background, that sort of does make sense. I would still recommend it though…
Blah….we have Joy Division music rip-offs, style rip-offs…. it’s the nature of the cycles….
As long as those indie boys attribute their outfit to those influences, I don’t really care either way…
Say hello (unless I look demonically stressed out..)! Where is it that you pass me by?
saw it a month ago, and actually in my newest post there is something about it..
never thought about the wardrobe mistakes though..
want to see it but i am always nervous when i hear that “a director of music videos” directed it.
delphine
Well i love Anton Corbijn, he’s actually a very respected photographer that happens to make videos. I’m curious to see the movie,because I really like his work. But I’m afraid that it will be too much directed to people that are already big Joy Division fans and won’t have universal appeal That would be boring for someone like me that likes the music but has no particular interest in the band.
I blogged this movie awhile ago too! Loved it. http://theongoingproject.blogspot.com/2007/09/watch-this-movie.html
no, not at this stage and probably not likely to be unless it does surprisingly well in NYC, LA…
Not just the London thing. It’s showing in Paris and it’s in all the magazines as well… Think those are leather or imitation leather (i.e. PVC) trousers…
i see you just near central st martin’s, holburn, crossing the street. at first i thought you were a mate and then i realised why you looked so familiar! i promise to say hello next time.
Oh, sorry this is late I just found these and remembered this post, think you will love them!
http://sevennewyork.com/main.html
Go to “Designers” and then go to “Superfine”, check the black jeans out!!!
I’m very eager to see this, though I haven’t read the book.
And ‘She’s Lost Control’ is one of my favorite songs, too. I was thrilled to hear it in a club the other night.
very good
i have just purchased some skinny leather jeans and am unsure what to wear with them?i was gonna wear my converse trainers but am stuck for top wise?t-shirts?colours?coat?pleaseee hlep! arrhggghh.i am male btw to make it difficult for you all!