I didn’t expect to cry but Soul just brought it out of me. As a young adult in my 20’s I often have experiences of worry for what’s in front of me, my future, or what may not be, and this movie definitely hit it home.
Soul is a great movie! The messages of appreciating life and the journey although not going as planned, reminding us what a blessing it is to enjoy this thing that we call life. “Is all this living worth dying for” is a great quote from the character 22 in the film that reminds you of the life you’re living whether you are truly living life or going through the motions and being unhappy. The film gives an inside look on a man who thought his life was great but viewing it once again realized how “meaningless” everything he had done up to that point was. How dedication to a passion drove the life of one but how that same passion only brought negative memories on the journey towards it.
The movie Soul depicts the life of a man named Joe with a passion for Jazz music. Joe’s life however hasn’t been going the way he dreamed it would be then he suddenly ends up in another “world” helping someone else discover their own passion. In helping someone discover their own passion and rediscovering his own he finds the true meaning of life.
In watching this film, a million emotions ran through me. Even resonating with the main character Joe in his journey to discovering the meaning in life and what it means to have a soul. Although I am young sometimes, I also get the feeling of unhappiness when it pertains to my career and passion to do what I love, yet the journey so far hasn’t been something I enjoyed. This film changes my perspective on life, focusing more on living in the moments and not letting my purpose get in the way of living. Being present in the moment with family and friends, making time for the other things that I love and being happy.
Why was this film created? To teach a lesson, what it means to have a soul and how much meaning there is in life. As we set off on the journey along with Joe and 22, we discover how sometimes are reason for being can deter us from living in the present and making memories and being happy. In one scene where Joe is talking to his mother, he explains how Jazz is his reason for living how “if I died today my life would’ve amounted to nothing” having not lived for his purpose. Not only does this depict how purpose in life can take over a person but how there’s multiple meanings in a life. You are not just one thing, you can be anything.
Not only did the filmmaking techniques of high-quality animation and clear sound entice communities into viewing, but the portrayal of the everyday world. More so diversity. In each scene, characters of all different backgrounds portraying the world around us were visible. All different cultures, races, backgrounds, and personalities that people can relate to. The attention to detail was also impactful when it comes to each coil on a character’s head, the character development in each character that was made relatable and both easy to understand for all ages, and the shifts from being a physical person to a soul.
Soul, although animated, is for all ages and people of all walks of life. It teaches lessons not only on finding your reason for living but finding purpose in multiple areas not just one. To continue living in the present and not taking anything for granted.
