Soul packs an emotional wallop greater than its internal consistency might earn, but at a certain point it is easier to accept that the rules of this universe just aren’t as tightly plotted as other Pixar films like Inside Out or Coco. That it is set in four major locations – New York City, The Great Beyond, The Great Before, and The Zone – and that three of these require their own laws exposited in lengthy patches of dialogue also doesn’t help, especially since these rules are later semi-contradicted. Given how easy moving between all four of these spaces turns out to be, it’s hard to believe that our protagonist Joe is the first person to ever discover these shortcuts.
But Soul is Pixar at its most ambitious from a purely metaphysical standpoint, manifesting ideas much harder to grasp than “Joy” or “Sadness”, and moving beyond the expected exploration of what happens to one’s soul after death. The concept of “new” souls is a classic Pixar invention, and is used as a springboard into further questions about what gives people character and definition. These new souls are sent through rooms that give them basic characteristics, and the final key that lets them move on to Earth is their “spark”. The interrogation of what a spark really is becomes the core of Soul’s search for meaning, considering the distinctions between purpose, passion, and simple appreciation of life in all its tiny pleasures.
The designs of each interdimensional plane are stunningly rendered with distinct colour palettes – black with pinpoints of white in The Great Beyond, cool pastels in The Great Before, and deep, dark blues and purples in The Zone. That the souls don’t have defined edges emphasises the intangibility of these spaces, a sharp contrast to the tactility and energy of the New York scenes. The camera speeds through the streets of the city, the grubbiness revealing itself in the attention to visual detail, and a bombastic jazz score by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor vigorously tying it all to Joe’s love of music.
The jokes and characters in Soul are firmly kid-friendly, sometimes stepping a little too far into misplaced slapstick routines. But as a whole, the film is indicative of a gradual shift within Pixar towards more mature narratives and existential concepts. Perhaps to offset the heaviness of its themes, a deus ex machina lets the film land on the sweeter side of Pixar’s bittersweet endings. At least the final emotional note hits more powerfully than some of the underhanded plot manipulations. And besides, a film this passionate about living only deserves as joyful a closing statement.
