No.68
Similar to No.35 and No.43, No.68 is another external shot of the hotel that sees it buried in snow. The snow dwarves the hotel to seem like a regular ranch style home, and this shot shows lights on in the hotel. It’s important that the lights shown in the hotel are far, far away from each other. The time of day is ambiguous, but dark.
American History/Culture:
“Make Every Indian A Tree”
This line is a quote from General Amherst to his (someone) giving the order to give the infested blankets to the Native Americans. In the letter, there is the promise to “make every Indian a tree”.
This is a constructed environment and the tree placement is intentional. They’re set up mimicking an image of Native Americans circling the school that holds their kidnapped children.
Domestic abuse:
If the snowstorm is a metaphor, we’re in the thick of it now.
The Maze:
Time:
Much of the establishing shots have been indicating time and a sense of pacing for the day. The amount of snowdrift makes it impossible, but it’s been increasing in darkness. It’s not as dark as No.28, but it’s not been bright since No.21.
Trees
This is a constructed environment and the tree placement is intentional. They’re set up mimicking an image of Native Americans circling the school that holds their kidnapped children.
Cabin Fever:
A “no turning back now” sense is provided, given that the entire concave parking lot is now overfilled with snow.
Opening the chapter with an establishing shot that diminishes the grand hotel into a ranch style home carves out the message that this is becoming the Torrance’s “normal home life”.
Establishing Shots of the hotel
No.21
No.28
No.35
No.43
No.68
The sound of wind blowing is added.