Anna is a 2019 action thriller film written, produced, and directed by Luc Besson who is known for visually stylish action epics, The film tells the story of Anna Poliatova, an intelligent, beautiful, and skilled girl trapped on the fringe of society who gets pulled into the world of espionage. Promised true freedom, Anna goes undercover and is scouted by a Paris modeling agency and goes from a nesting doll seller at a street market to a successful model where Anna’s fate changes again as she later becomes a double agent with the CIA. She is an embodiment of the Femme Fatale Spy trope as she is a formally trained assassin in the form of a fashion model whose ever-changing allure coincides with her changing fate within the cinematic nuances of the film. Only seeking her own freedom, she must contrive a plan to do so. Her own image becomes her greatest asset to carry out and accomplish this plan so she takes on many lives to get her own back.
THE EVER CHANGING LOOK OF ANNA
The film follows the multiple storylines of Anna’s life and utilizes a glossy frame narrative that uses fashion to establish storylines through a range of looks from drug addict and street merchant to model, party girl, and femme fatale spy along with everything in between. The character of Anna embodies all these images as the inspiration of the costumes in this film is Russian nesting dolls like the ones she is seen at the beginning of the film selling in a Moscow street market. Anna is described as “a woman inside of a woman inside of a woman,” and is meant to take on the many identities on various missions through her role as an assassin.
NESTING DOLL THEORY
Nesting dolls consist of a series of figures pulled apart to reveal another with resemblance and motifs within. Anna’s attachment to the dolls symbolizes how she is a discrete unit apart of a larger system. Every person has three systematic levels, universal, Communal, and individual wholeness. People’s identities will grow within and between the overlap of the levels. Anna’s issue is a lack of individuality, due to the fact that these levels are symbiotic and interdependent, always living in fear has led Anna to become a blank slate that she has never received the opportunity to fill.
Within the dynamics and complexities of the universe, Anna is without decision communally whole in life with her abusive criminal boyfriend, undercover model life, and forced double agent life. Anna desires the last level, individual wholeness 1:48 This is defined by personal history, cultural identity, cognitive and emotional intelligence as well as physical and mental health. Anna wants to contrive her own meanings, but these three levels hold great influence, hence she must develop a plan that is even more far-reaching than the boundaries of each level. The main plotline follows this story.
COSTUME DESIGN
And Anna’s image progression is in tune with her ultimate goal of escaping her old life. She does so in a unique manner through this nesting doll concept that explores many looks and tropes. In total, the film features a total of 48 costumes ranging from High fashion Couture to badass spy look and even dressed down Damsel in Distress.
That is worn by Sasha Luss, a Russian model, and actress. Luss has appeared in campaign ads for high-fashion brands, such as Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, Prada, LA Perla, Karl Lagerfeld, and more. The model has been on the cover of many prestigious fashion publications. With her previous experiences in the high fashion industry, she not only knew how to work with these garments but also, aided in bringing the character to life as she worked with the costume designer to ensure the character was as authentic as possible.
Costume Designer
Olivier Bériot is a French costume designer. He received César Award nominations for Best Costumes in 2011 and 2014. He would often apply styling techniques to harmonize the outfits into the location, lighting, mood, and overall artistry of the director’s cinematography to adapt the clothing to the visuals to form symbolic expressions with cultural and societal references.
CLOTHING TO COSTUME
The film features many locations from Moscow to New York then Paris where the costumes of the film adaptation and bring Anna’s world to reality. The costume designer referenced documentaries and news reportings of 1991 looking at real people who were in the CIA, KGB, and top fashion models to curate an idea of Anna’s spy and fashion moments would look like then separating the two periods and translating the two onto the screen visually through costume construction.
ANACHRONIC STORYTELLING
This was crucial as the main plot is generally linear, but the narrative of the film uses the technique of anachronic order which is when flashbacks are interlaced into the main plotline. In this film, the main plot remains linear, but the main plot will take detours either to give more insight into the backstory of the character, elaborate on a scene’s significance, or clarify what has actually happened in a scene. Usually, flashbacks regarding the reality beneath the scene will depict how Anna is in control of the situation through numerous tactics which causes her to fall into the trope of the femme fatale spy.
FEMME FATALE SPY TROPE
The Femme fatale trope is a woman who is mysterious, attractive, and seductive who uses her beauty, allure, and wit to intrigue men, capture their hearts then often lead them into compromising situations or ultimately their downfall. The Femme Fatale Spy trope is a popular one within cinema that is depicted as glamorous and intoxicating. Adding to the spy trope Anna uses sexual, emotional manipulation, or both to complete her missions and own goals of freedom. This subtype of femme fatale will use the biological and psychological basis to its advantage in order to extract information, blackmail, or complete assassinations.
BIOLOGICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS
The spy will with the cerebral cortex, which is the ultimate control and information-processing center in the brain. Typically This is through visuals or actions of sexual gratification, which can cause the other to stray from their rectitude. Self-control is primarily rooted in the prefrontal cortex—the planning, problem-solving, and decision-making center of the brain, tv, and film for this trope the actions and the perceived identity produced by the image of the spy are carefully curated to sway the moral compass.
TRADITIONAL SPY FASHION
Anna’s outfit construction often is very functional despite its aesthetic visual offerings and will allow for her to seamlessly adapt in and out of situations to come off as a model.
The look associated with the trope is typically the film noir interpretation but exists in many forms within culture, folklore, and myths of many cultures and modern media. Anna can be seen on her very first mission where she sports a striking look consisting of a coordinating white fur cap and coat over a completely black fitted ensemble of all leather jacket, pants, and boots – a very traditional femme fatale spy look that spans in the range of variation, but utility this look is a nod to the many before and visually signifies the character’s place in the world.
THE STYLE OF ANNA
Following this, her looks constantly evolve and her look differs ranging from hair and makeup looks to complement the many outfits she sports that interpret the character through the design and overall aesthetic of the pieces. This reformats her character constantly to match her ever-changing fate, but her truest identity is still kept intact through her level-headed poise and calculated recklessness. With the never-ending identities she must pull out of herself, she is much like the nesting doll. On multiple occasions, she dresses in high fashion and lingerie in extreme situations and on others will be as understated and plain as possible. Her range is far-reaching and she is never settled into one. The costume designer even described dressing the character like dressing a doll.
MODEL OFF-DUTY
Anna is very unique and has a taste for luxurious fashion due to her undercover work as a model. But her style most seen in her own time is relaxed, effortless, functional and typically quite understated. Usually, she is found in the off-duty model style- this is an abstract term under street style as it does not have a distinctive visual identity, but is one that is often recognized, admired, and influential that comes from a model’s personal style or personal stylist. Fashion within the model off-duty look is very high fashion-esque, but is not necessarily what is in vogue.
It’s the relationship in which one’s style has a considerable influence within fashion media and those who consume it aligning with it. Anna gravitates towards this not only due to her undercover work, but because this style is so open-ended because it is the utilization of individualism rather than a sole focus on current trends that make the model off duty look successful in demonstrating multiple, negotiated identities while sharing cultural backgrounds, interests, interests, and depicting what one values in the fashion industry today. It’s the one area in Anna’s life where she has a degree of freedom to dress herself, form her own relationships, and decide on what she would like to do. Other than these few fleeting moments though she is very detached.
DRESSING FOR THE JOBS
For modeling jobs, she is dressed to suit the visual aesthetic of the modeling job she is working on in order to bring someone else’s creative vision to life. On missions, she brings another’s coveted image of who they want her to be into real life So that each look plays into the tactic and approach that Anna will be using on that particular mission. Anna does not wear many personal or intimate types of pieces, her humanity is not within her clothing as detachment is always present to the point that her own tale is her own physical action rather than having an identifiable feature, body modification such as a tattoo for example, or personal garment such as jewelry to the point that her only tell is her own physical actions. Anna has an inability to maintain one identity because of her job that requires her to be everyone and simultaneously no one. Each look is formidable to the surface and then discarded much like she would be if she ever does not cooperate
IDENTITY & MENTAL HEALTH
Whether it be developmental delays, mistaught belief systems, or external constraints, issues in identity development will produce a wide range of issues depending on how it is manifested. Commonly this produces low self-worth by one being unable to see worth or value in yourself. Another prominent mishap that may occur is low self-efficacy which determines how effective or in control one believes they are in their life. People with low self-efficiency will believe they are helpless to the influence cast upon them by their own fate and will most likely not feel they can alter their path even if they are suffering. This is very domain specific as a person can feel confident in certain areas of life but helpless to influence in another.
When a person’s sense of identity is lost, they are more likely to become aggressive and deviate from how they are expected to be in terms of the acceptable social behaviors set by their communal level- resulting in Deindividuated Behaviors.
CLOTHING & IDENTITY
Human society equals a dressed society. The clothing a person chooses to wear expresses their influences, social freedoms, and identity. Fashion is a form of communication that translates experiences, events, and concepts. Fundamentally, clothing plays a role of being a medium for conversation about who we are and who we are not as an individual.
Personal style is usually developed through who a person is, what they are drawn to, and who they see themselves becoming. Regulations such as dress codes or uniforms display the values and identity on a communal level. Research has proven those who abide by dress codes at work have increased abstract thinking and productivity. At times clothing may also serve as a form of protection, a way of producing an image that allows for one to be accepted or assimilated into a group or setting. It functions similarly to armor and isn’t the internal self on the exterior.
EMULATING A FALSE BEING
Anna’s image is one that has been curated for her without personal preference, but to be suitable for a fashion model or to serve as a tool on missions. For example, she wears a deep red dress paired with a light brown coat and sunglasses, a look easy to emulate, one that is not herself but curated for her. She changes places with another spy meant to look just like her. Anna’s look is easily emulated and not personal at all. She changes into an all black outfit and wig to conceal her given identity. Showing Anna within a false life in another false life, as the other spy carries on as her. Anna will often become a false being and does this many times When working on missions she wears a range of many outfits that vary in style, essence, and look that will never be worn again. Signifying that she is still a blank slate and fully serving on a communal level without much individual-level development.
THE LOOK OF INNOCENCE
When interrogated about this switch, she plays up an innocent concept and leans into a soft look with a light pink dress in the shade soft peach that has clean lines that flatters the body with leading lines to the face. Her hair is pulled back in a clean bun and she adorns herself with pearl jewelry- it’s important to note that not only is this piece highly traditionally feminine but buried within the oyster shell, the pearl represents hidden knowledge. This look is finished off with a python bag from Jérôme Dreyfuss which adds the model-esque accent to her perceived identity.. Overall a very fresh, clean, and bright look that contrasts greatly with the interrogation room.
SPY BASE STYLE
Usually Anna in these settings will dress in the element of the environment very similar to the men who wore the traditional clothing of agents. She is very much the women’s equivalent of her men counterparts, for instance, Lenny in the film dresses in a Zenia costume and long coat. A very elegant and proper look, these same essences are the ones Anna can be seen in but of course, hers are pushed a bit more to be fashion-forward.
In this scene, she is wearing a fitted muted blue turtleneck topped off with a bulletproof dress coat also over a tailored suit skirt. Beneath is her usual lingerie set and the look is finished off with patent loafers. Performing as a double agent she wears this to fit her environment as all else do, but also to execute her duties and ensure success on her mission.
ANNA’S FAREWELL
Emerging from her disappearance she has her usual off-duty look with her leather jacket, overcoat, sweater, jeans, heeled boots, and beanie. An outfit that is versatile and neutral, also captures a spirit that lacks enthusiasm, passion, and sentiment. A suitable outfit for parting ways that is also very simple to recreate like the many she has before. The cold exterior visually shows her attachments and how she is never fully engaged or belonging
FASHION OF FREEDOM
Anna’s final look in the film is an all-black look, the color is one symbol of sophistication, seriousness, control, and independence but also strength and discipline. Unlike other hues, pure black can exist in nature without any light as it is the absence of light. It absorbs all colors of the visible spectrum and reflects none of them to the eyes. Anna has also had her head shaved, it’s important to note that in cultures hair is a symbol of femininity and a major part of identity. This image is deemed socially unusual but indicates transcending these ideals for oneself. People at turning points will often alter their hair, this provides an instant sense of control by physically creating a new image instantly, hence a new state of being. Anna’s look is one that she has never had before and tangibly conveys how Anna is no longer a blank slate for others to fill, but rather for her to begin her new life of freedom to be who she wants to be and live on her on terms.
CONCLUSION
After living many lives, in the end of the film, she finally achieves her goal of freedom and allows for herself to be a completely blank slate for herself. She’s no longer living on the terms of others and being who others want her to be. Anna now has the chance to live freely and embrace her own status and beliefs. Living her life and developing her own values, morals, and social alignments giving her the chance to contribute in a fulfilling manner to develop an authentic expressive self through presence, living in the moment with conviction, and developing a truly genuine image to embrace her new life through actions of choice and deciding on her own image.
SOURCES: Russian Nesting Doll Psychology- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/innovation-you/201202/stack-the-russian-nesting-dolls Work Uniform Studies- https://www.hbcw.co.uk/news/the-psychology-behind-work-uniforms#:~:text=Wearing%20a%20uniform%20promotes%20employee,the%20company%20and%20its%20values.&text=Psychological%20research%20has%20actually%20shown,increased%20abstract%20thinking%20and%20productivity. Black Psychology & Function Defintion – https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/discover/is-black-a-color.html Femme Fatale Psychology- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/attraction-evolved/201704/femme-fatale-sexy-women-sway-men-do-bad-things
