The Protagonist
A summary of the film’s protagonist is ordinary and to the point. Joe Gardner is a middle school band teacher who is finally given his shot to play at a jazz club. After successfully passing his audition, he unfortunately has an accident that takes him to the Great Beyond. After learning his ill-timed fate, Joe sets out to reclaim his body. Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is an excellent fit for this overall story because he is uncomplicated. He is not some aspiring young lad thirsting for adventure, or a star-eyed royal. He is a middle-aged man searching to better his position in life. A trait that most of the mature audience members can relate to in our routine lives.
The Interpretation of the Human Soul
Director Peter Doctor particular style is to interpret humans under the guise of children animation movies. Up was a film about moving on, Inside Out was about the human psyche and Soul is about life. How he perceives these core themes with well time jokes for kids is quite masterful. Soul in this case portrays ideas like death and how we live our lives.
Explaining a concept of death to a child is difficult yet Doctor was able to illustrate without overpowering fear. It was not something as dull as a dark void but a small pathway leading towards a bright light. Where that light takes you is unknown and does not try to push a religious agenda of heaven or hell. It was a comforting take on death that relaxed my thoughts on when I eventually die as well.
Concepts of the Soul
The other concept that truly stood out was about our passion and drive as humans. In Soul, Joe ends up in the Great Before where souls are given personalities and a Spark. Essentially, all souls have a personality before they reach Earth, but they must be given a Spark before they are born. A Spark is something of great inspiration such as baking, sports or even leadership. Joe is convinced his Spark is his passion from music and is determined to get back to his body sooner. However, upon looking at his current life, he is stunned by its overwhelming dullness.
These thoughts are certainly at the back of every individual’s mind. Questions like the meaning of life, is my life meaningless or what is my purpose often come show themselves. Those questions haunt our psyche because we lose sight of our Spark or what makes us feel alive. Another idea that shows up in the film are that of the Lost Souls. Lost Souls are souls that are consumed with their current obligations and begin to lose sight of their original soul. They become dark, unrecognizable, and aimless. This is troubling to visually witness yet comforting to see a way to regain your original soul. The way to regain your soul is the gratefulness of life.
Conclusion
Soul’s message is astoundingly clear; we do not have a purpose with our lives. Rather than a purpose, we must be grateful for the time and experiences that we come across. No person is born to do something, but rather we are born to experience the life we are given with open possibilities. There was a point in the film where Joe reflected on his life and was grateful for what he did. We are to appreciate the moment, not the overall outcome. It is up to our soul to determine our best moments through our life with the time we have.
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