Had I never seen the films of Aleksandr Petrov (such as his OLD MAN AND THE SEA and MY LOVE), I probably would have scored BLACK SOUL with a 10. Petrov and Martine Chartrand both use a similar paint on glass style of animation and Petrov's is just slightly prettier--and has resulted in Oscars and Oscar nominations for his work. This is not to say that Chartrand's work is bad--certainly not. It just isn't quite as amazing as Petrov's.
Both consist of images that are painted and they shift and change before your very eyes--like a living painting. When you first see this, you are blown away that anyone can make anything so beautiful and artistic--so much so that you really can't compare it to other types of animation. It's more like an art gallery come to life that constantly morphs! BLACK SOUL is the entire Black experience from the earliest days to the present--with the major events of the last several thousand years shown in this lovely tapestry. Although there is no dialog, the film definitely keeps your interest because the art and accompanying music are so terrific. For fans of animation as art, this is a must-see. Kids, on the other hand, may or may not appreciate this.