Before receiving Mythos for review, I actually had not heard of Joseph Campbell before, but a quick look at Wikipedia reveals a very scholarly and interesting life. Before his death in 1987, he had gone on a tour with his lectures, and it’s these lectures that are presented in Mythos. The three previously released Mythos DVDs are included: Mythos I: The Shaping of Our Mythic Tradition, Mythos II: The Shaping of The Eastern Tradition, and Mythos III: The Shaping of The Western Tradition. Not necessarily intended for the average viewer, the lectures are pretty dry, but nonetheless interesting when taken in manageable bites. Campbell’s presentation is great, and it’s clear he become an excellent teacher during his long tenure as a professor, but the material isn’t always exciting. Susan Sarandon, an odd pick in my opinion, interrupts the lectures at times with introductions and summaries. While these change the scenery a bit and maybe make a great place to take a break, I wasn’t sure her role was needed.
Having watched parts of all three Mythos volumes, I would say one can really watch them in any order and find interesting content, but a logical approach is to take them in the given I, II, III sequence. Keep in mind that Campbell isn’t here to explain the factual differences between cultures, religions, and mythology. Instead, his purpose was to find the common themes, the things that all humans share in our lives and history. While far from finished, what I have watched has made me want to keep coming back for more of Campbell’s lectures, which are complete with visual teaching aids and some appreciated short anecdotes, often with humorous elements.
The Mythos set is all about quality content, and a significant quantity of it. You won’t find an excellent presentation here as far as the technical image or sound quality go, it’s pretty barebones. There are also no extra features, although a twelve page booklet provides readers with a short biography on Campbell as well as a previously un-published essay by Campbell himself.
Take your time on Mythos and open your mind and I think anyone can learn — and benefit — from it. This isn’t a set you’re likely to plow through like a new season of your favorite TV show, but the quality of the material is superb.