Snake Eyes

A dramatic arc turned upside down. Snake Eyes has one of the most cinematically substantial openings in the history of film, conjuring pure cinephile euphoria from the interplay of camerawork, sound and editing. And even after that, De Palma spends a long time reminding us of how much he loves FILM and Hitchcock. However, the potential of the brilliantly initiated plot is later severely dampened. The screenplay focuses excessively on details, loses momentum in the main storyline and switches from playful and clever mode to screenwriting futility and farce. (08/10/2022)

The opening is amazing, a 20-minute camera ride following Cage as he greets his buddies on the way into the auditorium, knocks down a thug, gets off the phone and watches the opening of a boxing match. All without a single cut! It is true that after that the film drops in quality and the ending is full of clichés, but De Palma is simply cool and that has to be appreciated. (07/03/2002)

I originally only gave this movie three stars. I don't understand why. I guess I was too young then to appreciate Brian De Palma's great story and genius. The guy clearly enjoys working with the camera. And in Snake Eyes, he finally took full advantage of this. The opening shot which lasts for a quarter of an hour is almost unparalleled. On top that Nicolas Cage and Gary Sinise are playing as if their lives depended on it. Just superb. A picture that was ahead of its time. (07/20/2008)

A classic De Palma that can be felt from miles away (innovative directing and technical tricks + a bizarre script and an unattractive touch of strangeness). But Snake Eyes is worth watching, especially for fans of formal refinement. We are treated to several long shots without cuts, screen divisions, strangely “rusty” camera filters and other details that the average viewer wouldn't even notice. It's a shame that it was only a run-of-the-mill crime story with a rather ridiculous ending. (08/16/2008)