Joseph Campbell Explores Myth's Enduring Power
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth is a landmark documentary that is an intellectually deep and richly satisfying exploration of myth's enduring power. It originally aired in 1988 as a six-episode mini-series on PBS. It also is available in book form.
Joseph Campbell, a revered mythologist, writer and educator, is interviewed by journalist Bill Moyers, who asks just the right questions to reveal the brilliance of Campbell's mind and ideas. The interviews are accompanied by well-chosen visual materials such as cinematically photographed fine art and cave paintings.
The two-disc DVD set's release date is September 21, 2010. Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth contains a previously unreleased conversation with Campbell from Bill Moyers' Journal, in addition to selections from Moyers' interview with Star Wars creator George Lucas. Although the style of the documentary is simple, the ideas contained within it are profound. I highly recommend this DVD set, which is worthy of repeated viewing. You can find a complete listing of the DVD special features below.
Bonus Materials
Release Date: September 21, 2010
Not Rated: But be advised, contains nudity and violent images
Runtime: Approximately 342 minutes
- Two-disc set with six episodes of approximately 57 minutes each
- Never-before-released conversation with Campbell from 1981 Bill Moyers' Journal (25 min.)
- Selections from Moyers' interview with Star Wars creator George Lucas (14 min.)
- Viewer's guide with profiles of artists influenced by Campbell, an essay on mythology in everyday life, Campbell biography, and animal symbolism in myths
- Profiles of Campbell's influences, episode photo galleries, Bill Moyers biography, and excerpts from the film Sukhavati (9 min.)