Studio Ghibli rocks my world
Studio Ghibli, under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki, has produced several excellent animated features that star strong, independent, and non-sexualized women. The best part is that these women and girls actually stay strong throughout the films instead of becoming helpless and needing to be rescued by men at the climax. (For just a few of the countless examples of this frustrating archetype, see Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Liz Sherman in Hellboy, Susan Calvin in I, Robot, etc...).
Many of Miyazaki's films also have anti-war and pro-environment themes, and all are exquisitely animated!
I think my favorite is Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind. The main characters include two "princesses" who carry their titles and their ethics very differently, and both are strong and active agents of their fates. (No Disney princesses here!) The character of Nausicaa is a joy to watch - smart, joyful, gifted, persistent, hugely ethical and caring. Plus the movie is thrilling, with exciting action, and characters I cared about. (For those of you who like scene-chewing cameos, listen for Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Chris Sarandon, and, wonder of wonders, Mark Hamill on the soundtrack.)
I've also enjoyed:
- My Neighbor Totoro. This one is a lovely, simple story of two little girls' friendships with a benevolent forest spirit. What I like is that the girls' father believes in the spirit, too, thus avoiding the usual frustrating tension between parents and prococious children in movies about the supernatural. It's also a lovely, gentle tale with only minor stupid plot contrivances - mostly they just have a good time. The girls are very believably created. Watch for a really neat cross between a cat and a bus!
- Spirited Away is the story of Sen, a spoiled girl who saves her parents from an enchantment by becoming a chambermaid in a magical resort for the gods. (It's better than it sounds!) This film has some scenes of real beauty, especially a sequence where Sen rides a train across a floodplain. Suzanne Pleshette is great in a dual role as two powerful witches. And it's great to watch Sen become a strong, inventive, and powerful force.
- Perhaps the most well-known of Miyazaki's films in America is Princess Mononoke. It's been a long time since I saw this one, but I remember a strong heroine, some great commentary on the grey areas of environmentalism vs. polluting technology, and beautiful cello music on the soundtrack.
- Howl's Moving Castle stands out for its heroine's particular battle: she is "cursed" with old age, but I seem to remember that she comes to find a lot of joy and solidity in her new "old" body. And how many animated films have you seen recently that starred a powerful, interesting, spirited grey-haired woman?