Princess Mononoke

With this film, Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki proves that he is not only one of the world's great storytellers, but that he is also one of the great modern myth-makers. This is the kind of film that comes from an extraordinary imagination. The fact that it is animated (much of it hand drawn by Miyazaki himself) makes the possibilities limitless. He creates of world of ancient Japan where the spirits of the forrest and of animals are gradually dying to the increasing technology and mechinization of man. It's interesting to notice how he is also one of the great moral filmmakers -- there are no good guys and bad guys, just people who all have reasonable motivations (though sometimes misguided) for what they do, and no one is beyond redemption. He creates a beautiful fantasy world and then creates his own myths. It's a fantastic achievement in both animation and filmmaking.