Killing Eve Opening Scene

 

The opening scene of “Killing Eve” elaborates upon the themes of mystery and ambiguity, and portrays an image of a female-dominated environment. Using camera techniques, the Mise-en-Scene, Edits, and Sound, the producer is able to meticulously convey these messages to the audience and deliver a deliberate effect. The accurate and concise use of these media techniques helps illustrate the depth of the opening scene, marking its significance and setting the tone for the rest of the show. 

The Mise-en-Scene is an apt depiction of the mood and tone of a scene. It’s a stark combination of elements such as lighting, costume, props, and art direction. The Mise-en-Scene of the opening establishes a specific feel; the low, natural lighting and setting create a sense of realism, attaching relatability to the characters and the world they’re in.

We see a drop of blood on the woman’s watch, and she has a blank expression when looking at it. Her expression implies her sadistic nature, which is further strengthened when she walks past the little girl and tips her ice cream on her, even then, she has a smile on her face.

When the title card plays, the bold words “Killing Eve” appear on the screen. A point to note is that the letter ‘n’ has a blood drop dripping down it, as well as the letter ‘v’ is pointed sharp like a dagger, all foreshadowing that the woman in the parlor is the assassin. This is supported by the fact that she was in Vienna, and the MI5 agent in a later scene says the murder was in Vienna. The setting is in urban cities, and there is a cool tone color palette in the MI5 scenes.

When Eve is in the meeting board room, she wears a brown coat, while everyone else wears very dark tones, also establishing her as the main character by drawing more attention to her. Stuart Hall’s Representation Theory plays a vital role here in the decoding of the implicit meanings the producer is trying to convey. His argument that media producers “encode” messages and texts through their use of images and narrative that they build, helps us accurately understand the message being conveyed.

Furthermore, the camera shots and composition helped play an imperative role in illustrating the themes of the show. The very first shot is an establishing shot which reveals the location and setting, it’s in Vienna. The subsequent shot is a shot of the villain from behind, we cant see her face which creates an air of mystery and ambiguity surrounding her. The close ups of the villain and the waiter in the parlor have significant effect as they add depth into their characters by revealing their traits in an implicit way.

The non-diegetic soundtrack playing has the lyric, “I've never lived up to your expectations”, which ties in with the close ups of the villain and the waiter as she’s trying to mimic his expressions to live up to the little girl’s expectations. There is a low shot of her walking out of the parlor right after tipping the ice cream on the little girl, which establishes her dominance. The very next scene starts with a close up of Eve, presenting her as the main character. There is a frame-in-frame shot of the boardroom meeting when Eve first arrives at the MI5 office, which adds a sense of separation between her personal life and office life. 

Moreover, the sound is crucial to the opening. There is a non-diegetic soundtrack of lively but unsettling music during the opening scene and the first look of the villain which also foreshadows upcoming events. There are diegetic sounds of eating, the character’s sighs, cutlery and the motorbike, all of which contribute to the realistic atmosphere created by the producer. There are no dialogues in the first few scenes. Eve’s yelling is the first dialogue, or first human sound that is heard. Her screaming creates immediate suspension but then adds a sense of humor. 

Lastly, there are the edits. There are continuous POV cuts between the little girl, the waiter, and the villain, as well as lingering close ups, presenting a sense of amusement between the characters. There is a cut to Eve screaming after the non diegetic soundtrack fades, adding an element of surprise, and then a jump cut, or a crash cut, to Eve entering the MI5 office after saying she has the whole weekend to relax. Her dialogue adds humor to the scene. 

All in all, the opening scenes of “Killing Eve” are significant to the rest of the show as they set the mood and tone of the episode. The media techniques of Mise-en-Scene, Camera composition, Sound, and Edits come together to convey the producer’s message with utmost accuracy and present the characters and the initial plot of the TV series.