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I think this will be a difficult topic unless you limit yourself--fairy tale films abound, in many languages and many cultures. Are we talking about American films in particular? Or only Disney ones--several in your list are specific to Disney.

Although you said you were looking at films only, I think it might be worth your picking up a copy of Kathleen Ragan's "Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters" and "The Serpent Slayer and Other Strong Stories of Women" by Katrina Tchana and Trina Shart. Joan Gould's "Spinning Straw Into Gold" has some notes on fairy tale films, including those which we may not immediately think of as fairy tales, such as "Pretty Woman".

With regard to actual films with positive heroines--a couple come to mind. The main character in the Drew Barrymore film, "Ever After" is clever, witty, and free-thinking, and is, eventually, recognised and appreciated. The same is true of Ella, in the film "Ella Enchanted"--Ella argues passionately for equal rights, even setting out to change what she considers wrong. This story, however, is also sort of...on the fence. Ella is under a curse to always do what she is told, and it's possible to interpret this as a pigeon-holing of women, or even a metaphor for a process which women go through--recognising that we feel it is incumbent upon us to always do what is asked, later followed by the realisation that we are own selves, owning the right to do what it is that we wish rather than what it is we are asked to do.

Finally, to pick an animated film--of all the Disney versions I have seen, I think "Mulan" and "Beauty and the Beast" have the strongest female characters. "Mulan" may not be of use to you, because it's not a fairy tale per se; "Beauty and the Beast" paints Belle as intelligent, forthright, and determined. She knows she doesn't want to marry Gaston. She knows there's more to life than living in "a poor, provincial town". And although she does not want to leave her home, although she is afraid, she goes to the Beast. Throughout the movie, she sticks to her principles, while still remaining a touchable, relatable, fallible heroine. The supporting characters, though--the transformed servants--sometimes take away from Belle's strength as a character, in a similar, though lesser, way to the animals in Disney's "Cinderella".

If and when I think of more films--particularly darker ones--I will post again.

I hope these few thoughts are of use to you.

I agree with AliceCEB--women are encouraged to believe that worth is linked to beauty. And this is also a feature in fairy tales--the heroines and good girls are often portrayed as beautiful, their beauty being a reflection of their inner goodness. Consider 'Mother Holle' and the sisters--the kind maiden is beautiful, and suceeds within the context of the story while the unkind girl is ugly and fails.

Someone brought up 'Kate Crackernuts'--one of my favourite stories. It is good to see a heroine who is intelligent and resourceful, but plain. This it not to say that other such stories do not exist, but rather that they are lesser known than stories which feature beautiful heroines.

Considering these things, is it really surprising that women aspire toward an ideal of beauty? Or that many women have self-esteem issues?