The red scarf is undoubtedly the most important object in Anora, as it reveals a lot about who Ani is as a character. Despite being an indie movie with a relatively small budget, Anora won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, cementing it as one of the best movies of 2024. Ever since its release, reviews for Anora have been incredible, with Screen Rant’s own Patrice Witherspoon giving the film a score of 9 out of 10. Just like most other Sean Baker movies, Anora showcases the life of a Sєx worker.
At the beginning of the movie, Ani is an exotic dancer in Brooklyn. However, her life quickly changes when she meets Ivan, the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. After marrying Ivan in Las Vegas, Ani is living the life of her dreams. Unfortunately, by the end of Anora, things take a turn for the worse. Throughout the film, Ani is treated terribly and experiences a lot of trauma, and the red scarf is with her every step of the way. In fact, the red scarf actually has a lot of hidden meaning in Anora.
The Red Scarf Has Many Purposes In Anora
The Red Scarf Is Used To Silence & Warm Ani In Anora
After Ani and Ivan return from Vegas in Anora, the red scarf represents the life she has married into. Since she is now married to Ivan, Ani can have a lot of luxurious things, such as the red scarf. However, it doesn’t take long for their marriage to be challenged. Ani is undeniably caught up in the moment when she marries Ivan, and doesn’t consider the fact that she practically knows nothing about his family. If she did know his parents, she wouldn’t be so surprised when they immediately try to get Ani and Ivan’s marriage annulled.
The red scarf has both positive and negative purposes in Anora.
After Ivan’s parents order Toros, Garnick, and Igor to get the marriage annulled, they confront Ivan at his home. Instead of standing up for himself, Ivan runs away, leaving Ani all alone with the three strangers. During their ensuing confrontation, Ani is gagged with the red scarf so that she doesn’t scream. Later in the movie, when they are searching for Ivan, Igor gives Ani the scarf so that she can stay warm. Therefore, the red scarf has both positive and negative purposes in Anora.
Anora’s Red Scarf Symbolizes Her Suppression
Ani Is Forced To Get Her Marriage Annulled In Anora
After Ivan’s parents insist that the marriage needs to be annulled, Ani loses her free will. Instead of making her own decisions, she is practically owned by Ivan’s powerful parents, and therefore must do whatever Toros and Garnick say. Therefore, while the red scarf is at one point a symbol of Ani’s liberation, it doesn’t take long for it to become a symbol of her suppression. In fact, the scarf actually belongs to Ivan’s mother, Galina. Therefore, when she is gagged with the red scarf, she is basically being gagged by Galina.
Even though the scarf keeps Ani warm at one point in the movie, her wearing it also ᴀssures viewers that she can’t escape from Ivan and his parents until she does what they want. In Anora, the last thing Ani wants to do is get an annulment. She genuinely forms a deep connection with Ivan, but doesn’t realize what kind of person he is until it’s too late. While Ani naturally wants to rebel, Ivan knows there’s no stopping the will of his parents, and therefore easily casts his new wife away.
What Sean Baker Has Said About Anora’s Red Scarf
Anora Is Inspired By A Lesbian Vampire Movie
In an interview with SlashFilm, Baker confirmed that the red scarf represents Ani’s suppression. He claimed that he wanted the scarf to be more than just a prop in Anora. Therefore, he knew it was important to have the red scarf comfort Ani at times, but also be used to silence her. Furthermore, he chose the red scarf to be an important object in the movie because of the 1971 film Vampyros Lesbos, which is about a woman who gets seduced by a mysterious nightclub owner. Baker said:
There is that red scarf that comes from Vampyros Lesbos in which Soledad Miranda wears it, and that prop becomes part of her character. Well, that’s what we were doing with Ani. We were making that red scarf a very important prop — more than just a prop. It signifies, in many ways, her suppression, in a way. I mean, this thing is being used to silence her, and yet then she has to use it for her own comfort and warmth. So we’re playing with that.
Just like the red scarf becomes part of Soledad Miranda’s character in Vampyros Lesbos, Baker wanted it to almost be one with Ani in Anora. Therefore, while some viewers may not even clue into the numerous uses of the red scarf in Anora, the role of the prop is obviously something that Baker thought a lot about when making the movie. This proves how much effort and thought Baker put into Anora, which has definitely paid off.
Source: SlashFilm
