Whether we’re dealing with the spectacle of superheroes, star realms or animated adventures… one thing remains constant. Without decent characters, you’re dead in the water. While that may not be as much of a problem for Aquaman or Viking kings for that matter, character is how you connect with the viewer and beckon them into the world you’re building one scene at a time. If you don’t care for the main character or have no vested interest in the film, you’re watching from an outsider’s perspective. This typically alienates audiences and makes them feel less engaged, numbed to the emotion of the moment and ultimately less concerned with what happens to the hero – or his cronies.
While today’s eye-popping CGI takes pressure off the main players in terms of engaging and entertaining viewers, this sideshow can only carry filmmakers and screenwriters so far. The action part is important and characters can be defined by their actions too, but it’s what happens in the dialogue and quieter moments that truly unearth character detail. Do they smoke? How do they smoke? The answers to these questions may seem superfluous but in reality go a long way to telling each of their stories. It’s difficult to get this right without coming across as heavy-handed exposition or ridiculous visual cues – just think of the guy stamping out all manner of smoking product in the Lethal Weapon spoof, Loaded Weapon.
Movies are essentially about character, which is why some can get by without any plotting or production value and still work! Great screenwriting makes this seem effortless and organic, as easy as someone just stepping into the pages. However, coaxing this kind of breezy and consistent sense of character requires ceaseless effort and imagination. That’s why some of these efforts to instill character and dimension get taken to the next level of ridiculous in comedies.
Having a knight in shining armour can work in some situations but actually becomes dull and boring if done without a shred of texture. If the hero is absolutely flawless and invincible, where’s the fun in that? Even Superman has his kryptonite to keep him humble… although being so altruistic, he’s hardly ever in it for his own gain. Adding character flaws, weaknesses and vulnerability improves our chance of connecting or relating to characters and makes them more complex.
It’s the 2D cardboard cutouts you want to avoid at all costs. While there are some smaller supporting characters who don’t require nuance for their perfunctory roles, it still enhances a film’s universe for them to act as if their lives go on beyond their screen time. Add complexity, do it in a natural way and for goodness sake give your ensemble the right weighting… not everyone will be able to get their back story in. Think of the guy who got crushed by the slow-moving steamroller in Austin Powers.
The same goes for creating characters without doing the heavy lifting. You don’t have to write a character bible for every one in your screenplay but it does pay to work with efficiency and subtle cues to hint at lived experiences. Casting can make this more forgivable – just think of how Tommy Lee Jones immediately has depth with that storied face. However, even when you know you’ve got an actor of his calibre on board who’s able to make it their own, it’s lazy not to give the part more oomph. Make your actors proud of the parts they’re about to play… they don’t have to love the character but they do need to connect enough to empathise with their plight. In other words, create intrigue through your characterisation without turning the film into a navel-gazing meditation (unless that’s your intention), and avoid villains or over-simplified supporting characters with a host of moustache-twirling or damsel-in-distress caricatures (unless you’re playing this up for comedic effect).