10 James Bond Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Spectre

6. Utilise Supporting Characters In Meaningful Ways

Bond movie regulars Q and Moneypenny did not appear in Daniel Craig€™s first two Bond movies, but when they finally showed up in 2012€™s Skyfall they had the opportunity to do what they hadn€™t before €“ play a significant role in the narrative. Joining them in Spectre is Ralph Fiennes, who became the new M in Skyfall. Another recent addition to the fold is Bill Tanner, who like M was usually utilised as a background character in Bond movies. Even more so than in Skyfall, the four MI6 personnel each play major roles in the climax of Spectre by taking down the film's secondary villain, Max Denbigh, while Bond goes after Blofeld. In the Bond movies of previous decades, characters like M, Q, Tanner, and Moneypenny served as a means to an end. They would either be the butt of Bond€™s jokes or simply be in the movies to provide exposition. In Spectre, all four of these characters serve significant roles in the field and serve as a true supporting cast to Bond. This enriches the narrative by not only giving these characters something interesting to do, but to also utilises them in a way to give them a better connection to the audience as characters instead of plot points.