Testing the Resilience of the Myth in the Audiovisual Creation : "Myth and the Audiovisual Creation". By José Manuel Losada and Antonella Lipscomb (Eds.). Berlin: Logos Verlag, 2019

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The book “Myth and the Audiovisual Creation” (2019), edited by José Manuel Losada and Antonella Lipscomb, is a well-organized, thought provoking and multilingual collection that displays a deep knowledge in the analysis of reception of myths in contemporary audiovisual formats. Its objective: to test the resilience of the myth in the field of films, television series and video games while becoming a platform for reflection on the current standardization of contents and versatility of formats. As the book brightly exposes, new interdisciplinary challenges arise in the face of the digital turn and its profound transformation puts forward new questions that address the extent to how “technological changes are affecting mythical stories” (Losada 2019, 26).The book’s examination is carried out from a cultural myth-criticism approach, observing the attempts in this field to “pseudo-mystify historical figures, romantic ideas or metaphors” that deeply permeate audiovisual cultural manifestations (Losada & Lipscomb 2019, 7). The articles in this volume gather well known experts in the field and European and American researchers who, in testing the authenticity in mythical narratives, undertake a rigorous cultural myth-criticism analysis of successful films and popular television series. As their inquiries unfold, they address the impact of transcendence in our lives, still a prevailing element in audiovisual creations.