Customer Reviews

Joseph Campbell:Power of Myth

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

... it can inspire you, even change your life. It changed mine. I was always confused about religions, myths, spiritualism, and even life, and the inspiration found by this series helped me to better find myself and my place in the world. Campbell had a truly rare understanding of myth, the unconscious self, and spiritual existence I think. Watching this series for the first time, his words were like hammers pounding upon my brain with simple, easy truths that I think I've always known deep inside, but hadn't realized through all the complex and demanding materialism of the adult world. This is it. This is life. The adventure. You can be the "hero" of the adventure, or the dragon which plagues your world. (So to speak, of course the "dragon" tends to represent the threat of the ego (in the western world.)

Keep in mind, I am totally bias towards Campbell. He was the only person in my life who ever really moved me, and changed my life. Looking at this material objectively, I can say that it deals with our perceptions of life, of how the old stories speak to us of wisdom, if we can open our ears, so to speak. Myth is a beautiful but mystical thing. One can hear the words and receive the example, or even get the point, and miss the inspiration. Language is after all just a vessel to get across an idea (cargo.) We so often focus on the vessel and miss the cargo. Myth carries with it a fantastic yet simple vessel, but without getting the cargo one could never take in its purpose. By that I mean to say that if you do not have an open dock (open mind), then stay clear of this vessel. (It's too big for you.)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a series of talks, a casual interview between Bill Moyers and Professor Joseph Campbell. It was filmed (in part) by George Lucas' studio, and some interviews were conducted in Lucas' home. The talks are about the origins and intentions of myth, their value to us, and myths of our world today -- mainly "Star Wars". Ancient myths are the biggest topic however, and these range from Japanese to Native American to Egyptian to Greek to Mayan myths, and more. The topics here -- birth, life, danger, adulthood, loss, death -- could be overwhelming, but Campbell has a genius for simplifying it for those of us who haven't studied mythology all are lives can understand. Part of the reason for that is that Campbell truly gets what he says, and so he doesn't require arrogance or manipulation to move us. He speaks the revealed, skinless truth about who we are, how we live, and how we should live -- according to myth, and just basic wisdom.

Ultimately "The Power of Myth" is about wisdom, and believe me, it can help you to find your natural path in life. There are no answers here however -- as Campbell says: "A teacher can only serve as a lighthouse, and say "Careful, rocks over here.'"

This DVD set also features an interview with George Lucas, biographies of both Campbell and Moyers, weblinks, and a 'selected videography'. A collection that in my opinion everyone should have.

PBS captured the essence of the thinking of this great man just months before his death, and now we have the interview series on DVD for posterity. Many thanks.

I watch this program whenever it appears on PBS, it was an incredible program, as one viewer stated it is a movie - that is wrong, this was not a movie. It was documentary/educational exploration of the myths of many cultures. Mythology is humanity's universal method of seeking the transcendental, and "follow your bliss" is the timeless formula for spiritual satisfaction. Campbell himself is the embodiment of these themes, an erudite scholar and quintessential storyteller, recalling a wide spectrum of myths from throughout history (Japanese, Native American, Egyptian, Mayan, and many more) to illustrate humankind's eternal quest to grasp the mysteries of creation. Historical artifacts and illustrations bring these timeless stories to life. Bill Moyers is an excellent, skillful interviewer. I own the DVD and have purchase it for family members, so they may experience new thoughts, new ideas, and also the incredible art of interviewing. Enjoy it and watch if frequently, it does put life and mythology into perspective. It is an aincredible expeience. I highly recommend it.

The one-star reviews of this series are so off the mark that they bear addressing.

First of all, why is Gnosticism considered 'dangerous', Dr Maverick Philospher? To state that "the Gnostic view is mistaken because it by-passes responsibility and allows the perpetration of horrible crimes and even justifies the latter" is simply a statement of your belief. Obviously, you cannot accept that Campbell categorizes the stories Jews and Christians tell themselves as myths, when believers of these faiths are hung up on the idea that they are nothing less than historical and verifiable Truth, which they clearly are not.

Secondly, Jeff, it's CAMPBELL not CAMBELL.

Thirdly, "fionnmaccumhal", it's only tedious if your listening skills (or lack thereof) prevent you from understanding that something is actually being said.

Finally, Louis, asking "Why?" is like asking 'why do we breathe?'. Myth is the language all cultures use to descibe the world to themselves. Today CNN, FOX News, etc, all rely on myth. I think it is a given here. If you didn't get that, watch it again, or read Roland Barthes 'Mythologies'.

In this brilliant series of interviews (vividly illustrated by film footage of rituals and artwork from the world over), Joseph Campbell invites us to transcend ordinary activities motivated by fear, greed, and societal constraints in favor of more heartfelt modes of being and thinking that connect us with the divine, by which he means the awe and mystery of the universe. He has the prodigious breadth of knowledge to see universal themes where many see only bizarre cultural differences. He discusses what the cave paintings at Lascaux have in common with Chartres cathedral, why the paintings of Picasso and Klee, and the writings of Joyce and Mann, serve the same role in society as the rituals of Native Americans and Australian Aborigines, and how western society has become largely estranged from nature and thereby from authentic culture, mythology, and ritual. His central point is that all genuine myths lead us to an understanding of the divine; that the divine is perhaps best defined as the experience available to each one of us of the sheer rapture and existence; and that each moment of consciousness is also an experience of eternity. He doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but he asks the profound questions about human nature and the universe, and discusses them as intelligently as anyone I've ever encountered.

This is a GREAT series. I learned so much from Joseph Campbell, and will always be grateful for his work, which shows the universal themes in religion and mythology, including all the major religions. He shows their unity rather than their cultural nuances that, more or less, seperate them superficially. In addition to this work, I would suggest any work by Alan Watts, who was another scholar around his time and introduced the Eastern philosophies brilliantly to the West. Also, I would recommend Eckhart Tolle, who wrote the bestseller "The Power of Now" and has put out other works, too. All the spiritual teachings REALLY made sense after I understood That which Tolle, in addition to the spiritual masters throughout time, have taught.
Other interesting facts that I'm sure have been mentioned: George Lucas completely credits Campbell with helping him create "Star Wars" after studying Campbell's book "Hero with a Thousand Faces". (Star Wars is featured in this DVD series, along with other myths, and is shot, in fact, on Skywalker Ranch.) Also, another series of Campbell was shot and Susan Sarandon narrated. That was good, also. He was a really great person and I think it's wonderful that he has become so popular. Please watch these if you haven't already. If you have interest in these types of subjects, you will not be disappointed. As one of my teachers said once, these DVD's are "Gold":)

If you are looking for something quick and easy to understand at all levels with entertainment to keep you excited this is probably not for you. If you want to understand mythology from many cultures and how they seemingly tie together from a master lecturer who presents a synthesis of thought then get this DVD.

Maybe I am slow study, but I found multiple viewings helped me. In my book, that is why this is worth buying since you will find new information each time through. I have listened to the tapes of the interviews at least 3x and watched the series 1.5x. Every listen through I get something new.

Campbell's encyclopedic knowledge of the subject is a marvel and Moyers does a decent job asking the layman's question. This series deepened my understanding of many facets of religion and gave me so much inspiration for more study, I could spend a life time following those leads.

Highly recommended for content and ability to inspire your personal search for understanding man's spiritual nature.

This is a DVD to watch if you are a little tired of Hollywood dumb down pap and are ready to stretch your brain a bit. I loved mythology from the start so I found it fun, and ...educational!

It is a six part interview with one of the premier scholars on mythology interspersed with pygmy culture, Indian and Polynisian art, Christianity, Buddhism, New Guinea canibalism, and Star Wars. It's Mythology 101 in 6 hours and not a minute of it wasted. Fantastic!

I suggest getting a glass of wine and relaxing with this DVD an hour at a time. Find your bliss then go for it. It's that kind of a DVD.

If there would be such a thing as the Magnum Opus of mythology, these tapes/dvd's would be a part of it. Mr Campbell is very elaborate on the various subjects that can be viewed. From the first storytellers, to the masks of eternity and to the story of his own life. The latter being a great story of achievement. Truly Joseph Campbell is a symbol for modern mythology and a rolemodel for transcendent philosophers. Mr.Campbell's messages in these series however, are not an outline of his methodology, nor are they recapitulations of his work. He just talks about myths and sets an example of how one would have to view them in order to understand something like the cosmogenic circle.

And I have to say, for a talk/philosophy show these series are very lavish.....

To the surprising amount of reviewers who issued complaints of boredom because this "movie" was 'too long' and contained 'too much talking', all I can say is, what exactly were you expecting? First off, this program is not a "movie"...its a mini-series of six hour-long episodes, intended to be viewed individually, not in one fat sitting. Secondly, the premise of the program is...(shock!)... a conversation with Joseph Campbell about mythology. If watching a six hour conversation about mythology sounds boring to you, why are you watching, and more importantly, why are you bothering to post a review? What are you going to do next, complain that all they do is talk on "Inside the Actors Studio"? Or maybe that there was too much singing in "The Sound of Music"? Maybe you would have liked "Schindler's List" if it hadn't dwelt so long on the Holocaust?

Then there's the reviewers who obviously found their way to Campbell by way of George Lucas and hoped they were getting a six-hour dissertation on the Star Wars trilogy. Sorry folks--Joseph Campbell had a fairly robust career long before Lucas picked up his first camera, and the Star Wars films take up only a small portion of one of the six episodes.