The camera does things that shouldn’t be possible for a camera to execute, but De Palma strives to operate it ingeniously with every film.
De Palma, more than any of his contemporaries, understands the filmmaker’s role as a manipulator, and this device allows him to flourish this concept. Observing each perspective of the assassination is fresh and fascinating, leaving the viewer uncertain of the truth. For just a trashy thriller on the exterior, it is daunting how far De Palma goes to assert his athletic filmmaking prowess, with the crowning achievement being an unbroken take of Cage walking through the casino floor. The camera does things that shouldn’t be possible for a camera to execute, but De Palma strives to operate it ingeniously with every film. No shot is left boring. While Snake Eyes is purely a stylistic narrative, it does feature commentary on the artifice in film. It is quite self-aware of its trickery, and yet De Palma never fails to play his audience like a fiddle.