'Soul' is Pixar's second movie in 2020, right after 'Onward'. Planned for a release in cinemas, the movie was taken off the schedule and released on Disney+ on 25th December, being the first Pixar movie to become a Disney+ Original. The movie is directed by Pete Doctor who also has directed 'Monsters, Inc.', 'Up' and 'Inside Out'.
NOTICE: this post contains spoilers of Soul (2020). Do not read any further if you haven't seen the movie.
The movie is full of important messages no matter how the story is unfolding. You'll probably have to watch the movie again, but let's take a look at what the movie taught us and what the different things can mean.
At first, the characters:
Connie is a 12-year-old girl and a student at the school where Joe's teaching. Joe tells 22 that Connie might hate everything but trombone is her thing.
What is it with her?
Connie is at an age where she is unsure of what she shall do. She might dislike many things, but there are also things she likes. She needs someone who believes in her. Just like other children at her age, she is growing from child to teenager, and she is trying to find her place in the world. And what important is, you shall never give up what you like.
Dez is Joe's barber. When 22 is inside Joe's body, she tell about her own life when they visit the barbershop, without no one around seeming to suspect anything. She asks about Dez's life, too. When they are finished, Dez tells Joe (22) it was nice to talk about something else than jazz, which they normally do.
Why does he say that?
Dez knows he makes other people happy when they can talk about themselves, but in fact, he also wants to talk about his own life. He doesn't do that unless someone is asking him. He ignores himself though what he feels, but when someone is actually asking, he is appreciating that. And depending on how his life is, he will be remembering it for the rest of his life. It is very important to be interested in other people because that will be appreciated afterwards.
Joe Gardner is a teacher at a school. He finds it less interesting. In his entire life, he has dreamt about playing jazz with Dorothea Williams. One day he gets the chance, but because of his excitement, he forgets to see where he goes and it results that he dies (or gets injured, which we learn later on). Joe finds himself at the Great Before, and at the You Seminar Joe sees moments of his life. He realises his life has been boring and meaningless, but he won't accept that. Mostly because he finally can live out his dream. He will do anything to get back to life.
What is keeping Joe alive?
From what we know in the movie, the only thing keeping Joe alive is his wish to play with Dorothea Williams. Maybe his life is not as great as he thought, but he has a dream he wants to make real. That dream makes Joe happy. You always have a reason to live, no matter how dark your life can be, you just need to fight and think of what makes you happy. Happiness is the greatest source to a good life. We are all different, that is in our nature, so whatever makes you happy, do it, and do not think of what other people think about it: it is not their life.
22 has lived at the Great Before in many years and has never got her pass to Earth. She doesn't like anything, and no one can help her to find something she will love. She does like to stay at the Great Before, where she has her routines. At a point in the movie, 22 tells Joe she hasn't seen anything that made her want to live. 22 finds Earth boring, but not until she accidentally falls into Joe's body and lives his life, that's when she finds the stuff on Earth interesting. But because of what she is doing on Earth is what Joe normally do, or everybody do, she thinks it is what she loves to do. When both of them return to the Great Before, 22 becomes a 'lost soul'. Inside the lost soul, 22 hears a lot of different voices from her previous mentors.
What is actually wrong with 22?
You might have met someone in your life that all just hates, or you just give up immediately because of how they are. That's what happened to 22. No one ever believed in her or tried to speak with her. She thought she wasn't good enough, and she has been called all the worst things. It is not until she meets Joe that she becomes ready to take to Earth, her spark. Just because the things you've tried is not the right for you, you do not just hate everything. It takes time to find what interests and inspires you. 22 is just like every human in the real world. She needs to be accepted the way she is and that someone believes in her and wants to speak with her. The 'lost soul' represents the darkness she has become because of the way she is treated in all those years. Just like we in the real world can find ourselves in the darkness, like if you're having physical problems, or you think you're always unfortunate and nothing can go right for you.
The movie itself:
After playing together in the night, Dorothea tells Joe a story:
I heard this story about a fish.He swims up to this older fish and says, 'I'm trying to find this thing they call "the ocean".''The ocean', says the older fish. 'That's what you're in right now.''This?', says the older fish. 'This is water. What I want is "the ocean".'
The story is about a fish who dreams to go to the ocean, the one every fish is talking about. But the fish discovers that it is already in it. Joe has dreamt about playing with Dorothea his entire life, and when the moment finally has come, Joe thought it would feel differently. It is great to have a dream, and we might do a lot of things to reach it, but what is important is that you never have great expectations, because they may disappoint you in the end. It is part of life to have a dream, so there is nothing wrong with it, but you have to be careful about it.
Throughout the movie, both Joe and 22 think they have to find 22's purpose in life. Not until one of the Jerrys tells Joe that it is not the case. You are not born with a purpose. There is no one saying you were born with the purpose to become famous or rich, or to become what you are today. That is the choice you decide throughout your life. No one of us in the world has a purpose in life. We're just born, and then we have to find out what we want in our life and make it a reality.
Why is the ending of the movie the way it is?
In the last minutes of the movie, Joe accompanies 22 to the Earth portal. They fall together, and 22 is heading to Asia. They split and 22 is not seen anymore. The case is that you have to imagine what has happened to her, which Pixar won't answer on. Meanwhile, Joe is on the way to the Great Beyond when one of the Jerrys give him a second chance to live. He accepts and says he will live every minute of it, and the movie ends. At one point you can imagine what happens with Joe afterwards, too, but the point is that you shall spend your life they way you wish and while you can, because someday it's over, and you cannot go back and make things otherwise.
While no news of a Soul 2 or a TV series (it's a bit early, I know), it is unlikely that will happen. Mostly because I do not think Pixar will expand the story of what happens with both Joe and 22, which will make sense although it could be interesting to see, but that is not what is important in this story.
Image: Pixar.com
No comments:
Post a Comment