6. Munich (2005)
Met with critical indifference when it was first released and still not considered by many to be among the top echelon of Spielberg's works, I personally believe Munich to be one of his unsung masterpieces that deserves far more recognition and respect. Often ridiculed for one small moment (which really isn't that over the top when viewed within the context of the entire film), Munich is actually one of the most tense and well-made espionage thrillers of recent years. In line with Spielberg's post-millennial self discovery, Munich is also one of his darkest and most morally ambiguous films. Spielberg takes a story that could be made as a simple good-vs-evil story of a group of skilled assassins sent out to take out members of a terror cell, and injects it with so much maturity, ambiguity and cynicism it is truly amazing to think that this is the same director who made E.T. Because fact of the matter is, the assassins make mistakes. They mess up. They doubt the purpose of their mission, the fidelity of their information, and even the guilt of their targets. All of this is wrapped up in one of Spielberg's best-crafted films. Featuring a subtly unsettling score from John Williams, it is Janusz Kaminski who goes all out and has a field day with camera angles and movements, bold lighting, filters and film stock choices all utilized to maximize intensity and in order to create a portrait of various European locations in the 70's. It's not a subtle film, but it's an important statement from Spielberg's part that things are never simply black and white anymore.