DVD Corner

Joseph Campbell And The Power Of Myth With Bill Moyers Blu-ray Review

“Joseph Campbell And The Power Of Myth With Bill Moyers” is a fascinating series of deep dive conversations.  

1988’s “Joseph Campbell And The Power Of Myth With Bill Moyers” is a 6 episode PBS mini-series that features author/Professor Joseph Campbell having sit down conversations with journalist/former White House Press Secretary and commentator Bill Moyers at Skywalker Ranch. The topics of discussion in this series revolve around mythology, the hero’s journey, religion, storytellers throughout the ages (from cave paintings to modern artists), rituals, characteristics of the hero’s journey (death and resurrection, sacrifice, nature, transformation, etc.), love stories in mythology, female roles in mythology (such as Goddesses), and much more.

Aside from his seminal published works about mythology and heroes, Joseph Campbell is perhaps best known for influencing George Lucas to create “Star Wars.” In fact, “Star Wars” is even touched upon in the first episode in relation to discussions about mythology and hero journeys. 

Campbell, as you might know, was a true expert on mythology and you certainly grasp that quite quickly in this thoughtful and intellectually stimulating documentary series. He’s not merely talking about stories past and present, he’s also looking at history and delving into how one can learn from or relate to these stories and myths that have been passed down through the ages. Campbell also talks about the journey of life and following your bliss (a motto he made quite popular). Truth be told, there’s so much to absorb here as there’s such a wide range of topics about spirituality, the importance and function of artists in association with myths, mysteries, humanity, ego, the list goes on. There’s so much to chew on and ponder from these discussions which is what makes this series so rewarding all these years later. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How do the episodes look? Some of the archival footage resembles VHS quality, but some (not all) of the interview footage looks to have been cleaned up. It’s a bit of a strange choice to release this series on Blu-ray, but fans of Campbell and Moyers will no doubt be pleased regardless.

Audio Track: 2.0 Stereo. How do the episodes sound? The audio sounds clean throughout.

Extras:
* A booklet with essays by Joseph Campbell, Stephen Gerringer (who has 2 essays), a Joseph Campbell bio, and a Sarah Lawrence reading list.
* “The Mythology Of Star Wars With Bill Moyers And George Lucas”- An hour-long conversation between Moyers and George Lucas (also at Skywalker Ranch) that was released in 1999. Conversations range from “Star Wars,” mythology, influences, religion, his career, and so forth. Easily one of the best interviews with George Lucas. A must see.
* “Joseph Campbell: Myths To Live By”- The 2 part 1981 interviews between Moyers and Campbell which covers myths, mythology, heroes, dreams, religion, fairy tales, and more.

March 5, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Bill Moyers, George Lucas, Joseph Campbell And The Power Of Myth With Bill Moyers, Mythology, Power Of Myth, Star Wars