This theme is where “moving on up” meets “foregone conclusion of destruction”, and that’s shown across literal, metaphorical and conceptual means.
In the literal sense, it shows things moving upward across the whole film.
The Credits literally take the viewer upwards to the Mountain. The title sequence font moves upwards on the screen. All of this is elevating.
We see Danny triking first around The Colorado Lounge and while we have no way of knowing what floor its on, we only see stairs that go up (and not a staircase leading down). The next time we see him, he’s triking around the 2nd floor. Elevation.
The snow falls deeper and deeper, covering higher and higher. While it’s technically elevation, it reduces the stature of the hotel into a ranch-level home.
Which brings me to: conceptual.
This deals with the level of tension and aggression; the sense of foreboding.
A Month Later is sunny, morning, breakfast in bed. Tuesday is evening, an offer of sandwiches, and an argument.
It’s Jack staring over the hedge maze model in A Month Later and chasing Danny in the actual hedge maze in the final sequences.
In this image · No.2