Now Playing: Learning Mythology Through Film

This film supplement, new to the third edition, covers 30 films and three episodes from contemporary television series. Each entry in the supplement contains references to specific chapters in Introduction to Mythology, to enable smooth integration of the supplement with the fascinating and wide-ranging ideas in the book. The information in the supplement facilitates discussion about either an entire film or one or more short scenes in a film. Each entry includes recommended clips with a time and minute counter. These film clips can stand alone or be used in combination, if viewing the entire film is not practical. Data about the films' producers, directors and actors are included in each entry. This will enable students and instructors to locate the films, as well as criticism about the films. The supplement also provides background information as well as a synopsis of each film. This will allow instructors and students unfamiliar with the film to make an informed decision about which films to use. This will also help to compare and contrast the different versions of stories that evolve from the myths as well as identify central ideas within them. Each entry also includes questions that can start a class discussion or even be used to inspire written assignments. Suggested answers are provided in the Instructor's version. These answers emphasize important elements of each film and suggest connections to the material in Introduction to Mythology. The films discussed in the supplement are from time periods ranging from 1948 to 2011. The supplement includes films from places such as Indonesia, Brazil, and others, as well as the United States. The supplement includes films that are critically acclaimed, animated, musicals, big budget adventures and low budget gems. Some of the films tell familiar stories in new ways, some explore mythological concepts in surprising ways and some combine contemporary stories with ancient traditions. Some of these films reached a wide audience and some may be unfamiliar to many. But all of the films contain moments of beauty. All of the films teach something useful about mythology and provide new and different perspectives on fascinating material.