Myth, Mind and the Screen: Understanding the Heroes of our Time (Cambridge Studies in Criminology (Cambridge University Press).)

Myth, Mind and the Screen is a systematic attempt to apply Jungian theory to the analysis of films (including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Silence of the Lambs and The Piano) as well as a variety of cultural icons and products such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and televised sport. Through these and other examples, John Izod shows how Jungian theory can bring tools to film and media studies and ways of understanding screen images and narratives. He also demonstrates how Jungian analysis can provide us with insights into the psychological dimensions of contemporary mythology and the subjective experience of audiences. Perhaps most controversially, he argues that in the Western world cinema and television bear much of the responsibility for collective emotional mediation that in previous centuries was borne by organised religion. This 2001 book is a valuable resource for students of film and media studies, cultural studies and psychoanalytic studies. 1. Jungian Theory, Textual Analysis And Audience Play -- 2. Archetypal Images: Signification And The Psyche -- 3. Archetypal Images: Symbols And The Cultural Unconscious -- 4. The Piano, The Animus And Colonial Experience -- 5. The Pop Star As Icon. Androgyny And Stardom: Cultural Meanings Of Michael Jackson. A Goddess Who Comes? Madonna As Trickster -- 6. The Quest Of A Female Hero: The Silence Of The Lambs -- 7. Television Sport And The Sacrificial Hero -- 8. The Polycentred Self: The Passion Of Darkly Noon -- 9. Haunted: Searching For The Whole Self -- 10. Transforming The Final Ghost: The God Within -- Glossary Of Jungian And Related Terms. John Izod. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 223-229) And Index. Includes Filmography: P. 209-213. Izod concisely lays out a method of approaching films using Jungian interpretation. Much has been written on film interpretation from a Freudian viewpoint. The field of Jungian film interpretation is growing rapidly in popularity. His chapter on pop stars-particularly Madonna as trickster is excellent. I can also recommend his chapter interpreting Silence of the Lambs.This is a book written for serious Jungian scholars. However for those needing a quick overview Izod does a nice job of explicating the basics of Jungian theory. Izod's interpretations are good and it is clear he has a passion for film and Jungian theory. All in all a very interesting book! Machine generated contents note: I I Jungian theory, textual analysis and audience play 2 Archetypal images: signification and the psyche 3 Archetypal images: symbols and the cultural unconscious 4 The Piano, the animus and colonial experience 5 The pop star as icon Androgyny and stardom: cutual meanings of Michael Jackson A goddess who comes? Madonna as trickster 6 The quest of a female hero: The Silence of the Lambs 7 Television sport and the sacrificial hero 8 The polycentred self: The Passion of Darkly Noon 9 Haunted: searching for the whole self 10 Transforming the final ghost: the god within Conclusion Filmography Glossary of Jungian and related terms. This systematic attempt to apply Jungian theory to the analysis of films covers 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Silence of the Lambs and The Piano as well as a variety of cultural icons and products such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and televised sport. Through these and other examples, John Izod demonstrates how Jungian theory can bring new tools to film and media studies and new ways of understanding screen images and narratives. While all the arts are rich treasure-houses of symbolic material, this is especially true of televisual and cinematic fiction with their ability to employ images, speech, narrative and music.