Anton Corbijn, Bernard Sumner, Bob Dickinson

A chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band.

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92% liked it

1,690 ratings

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Grant Gee

Release Date: September 7, 2007

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DVD Release Date: June 17, 2008

Stats: 276 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (276)


  • September 1, 2008
    Less accessible to newcomers to Joy Division than the estimable 'Control' but a treasure for fans with copious extras.
  • July 8, 2008
    A remarkably well made documentary about the band Joy Division, the city of Manchester and the music scene the sprung from there in the late 70's and which continues to be a vital source of talent and influence in the music industry today.

    While I enjoyed this film immensely....( read more)..I can't say that it is for everyone.

    But if you have any interest in the bands Warsaw, Joy Division or New Order...or if you are a fan of the British music scene in general, you will no doubt find this a wonderful retrospective of not just an amazing band...but of an incredibly interesting and complex city as well.
  • May 25, 2008
    Interesting documentary, even for a non-Joy Division fan like me. I liked how it was shot - the combination of past and present, and also how you got multiple different perspectives on the Ian Curtis story.
  • October 9, 2009
    Antes de ver este convencional pero interesante documental sobre la banda Joy Division, quizás convenga ver antes 24 Hour Party People (2002), de Michael Winterbottom, un falso documental, que involucra a varios personajes relacionados, directa o indirectamente, con el surgimient...( read more)o y éxito de la banda. Su protagonista, Tony Wilson, es fundador de la disquera ?The Factory?, y de ?The Hacienda?, un club en donde el grupo ofreció sus primeros conciertos. Pero eso no es todo, una vez que se hayan visto ambas películas, y si en verdad está interesado en el tema, puede ver todavía Control (2007), del fotógrafo vuelto cineasta Anton Corbijn (quien fotografió al grupo en varias ocasiones), una dramatización de la vida del grupo y su vocalista, Ian Curtis. Me falta ver Control, pero espero verla pronto.



    En Joy Division, el documental, el tema principal -no podía ser de otra forma- es Ian Curtis, quien se suicidara ahorcándose el 18 de mayo de 1980, justo cuando la banda estaba en la cima. Dirigido por el cinefotógrafo, director de videos y ocasional documentalista Grant Gee, el documental, a pesar de ser una convencional sucesión de ?cabezas parlantes? (todos sus entrevistados en un mismo estudio, con un fondo negro), tiene un lenguaje visual propio y original. Vale aclarar que no es el clásico documental que se puede ver en los canales musicales MTV o VH1. Las pretensiones de Gee van más allá de ofrecer una simple y llana exposición de hechos biográficos, fechas y lugares.
    No es una película que endiose al grupo, a Curtis o al resto de sus miembros. Se nota que Grant Gee es un gran admirador de Joy Division, y en apenas su segundo documental su visión sobre el trágico destino de Curtis es limpia. Deja que sus excompañeros expresen su opinión al respecto. Curtis era un tipo talentoso para escribir canciones (?Love will tear us apart again? es considerada una de las mejores canciones del siglo XX); tal vez no tenía una gran voz pero si mucha fuerza escénica, y que padecía epilepsia. ?Estábamos 50 por ciento enojados con él y 50 por ciento tristes. Pensaba ?¿Cómo pudo ser tan estúpido para hacer esto?, pero también estábamos tristes por no haber podido hacer algo por él.?, confiesa el baterista Stephen Morris. Y una característica algo intrigante, es que la presencia de Deborah Curtis, esposa de Curtis, no participa con entrevista, sino con textos (seguramente extraídos de su libro biográfico), que se van colocando a manera de intertítulos. Un gran documental para los fans del grupo.
    Más en pantallanueve.blogspot.com
  • August 28, 2009
    i missed this one in the cinema just seen on dvd great sits alongside `Control`
  • May 29, 2009
    Very strong retrospective of their work. I was happy to see Genesis P-Orridge appear!
  • April 2, 2009
    Excelente documentário de uma das maiores bandas já formadas, onde seus ex-integrantes comentam tudo sobre o início, a breve trajetória e o seu fim trágico....
  • February 15, 2009
    A good look at the history of Joy Division from the perspective of the other guys in the band (New Order. Make a night of Joy Division. Watch this, then watch 2007's Control.
  • February 8, 2009
    I doubt that I am going to watch this.
  • January 17, 2009
    i ended up really enjoying this; very candid interviews and recounts, especially with peter hook & tony wilson. the live footage is also great and the special features contain a many more short interview segments, as well as the live promotional taping of "t
    ...( read more)ransmission."

    fans of joy division, this is well worth buying and compliments perfectly corbijn's (who appears briefly in this documentary) control.

Critic Reviews


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  • blizzpirate
    July 20, 2008
    absolutely amazing movie, The movie was great.
    3 and a half out of 5
    last 30 minutes was sad


    worth the $5 i paid to watch it on time warner cable pay per view =)

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Joy Division Trivia


  • What movie features a semi-biographical look at the band Joy Division, and the club at which they started?  Answer »
  • Who sang Love Will Tear Us Apart from the Donnie Darko soundtrack?  Answer »
  • Which movie's sountrack contained the songs "Love Will Tear us Apart" by the Joy Division, "Under the Milky Way Tonight" performed by the Church and "Mad World" performed by Gary Jules?  Answer »
  • The film Control (2007) is about the singer of which British band?  Answer »

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