Fails the Bechdel test

Spectre

Name: Spectre
Released: 2015

2015. Directed by Sam Mendes, written by John Logan and Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
12 women characters. 4 of them speak.
No 2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other.
No 3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.

The film

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Meanwhile, back in London, Max Denbigh, the new head of the Centre of National Security, questions Bond's actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M. Bond covertly enlists Miss Eve Moneypenny and Q to help him seek out Dr. Madeleine Swann, who may help untangle the web of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. As Bond ventures towards the heart of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., he learns a chilling connection between him and the enemy he seeks.

Released: 06 Nov 2015
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
IMDb: 6.8 / 10
Metascore: 60 / 100
Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 8 wins & 37 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

Women
Men
Not in the cast list
Bigger name, more lines

Bond 228 lines, man
Madeleine 78 lines, woman
Stockmann 49 lines, man
Moneypenny 47 lines, woman
Q 40 lines
M 29 lines
C 19 lines
Tanner 18 lines, man
Lucia 16 lines, woman
White 15 lines, man

Full cast, 83 people

Daniel Craig as James Bond
Christoph Waltz as Blofeld
Léa Seydoux as Madeleine
Ralph Fiennes as M
Monica Bellucci as Lucia
Ben Whishaw as Q
Naomie Harris as Moneypenny
Dave Bautista as Hinx
Andrew Scott as C
Rory Kinnear as Tanner
Jesper Christensen as Mr. White
Alessandro Cremona as Marco Sciarra
Stephanie Sigman as Estrella
Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Mexican Man in Lift
Adriana Paz as Mexican Woman in Lift
Domenico Fortunato as Gallo
Marco Zingaro as Gallo's Accomplice
Stefano Elfi DiClaudia as Gallo's Accomplice
Ian Bonar as Q's Assistant
Tam Williams as Moneypenny's Boyfriend
Richard Banham as Blofeld's London Helicopter Pilot
Pip Carter as SC019 Police Commander
Simon Lenagan as SC019 Police Officer
Alessandro Bressanello as Priest
Marc Zinga as Moreau
Brigitte Millar as Vogel
Adel Bencherif as Abrika
Gediminas Adomaitis as Blofeld's Right Hand Man
Peppe Lanzetta as Lorenzo
Francesco Arca as Francesco
Matteo Taranto as Marco
Emilio Aniba as Palazzo Security
Benito Sagredo as Guerra
Dai Tabuchi as Businessman
George Lasha as Businessman
Sargon Yelda as Businessman
Andy Cheung as Businessman
Erick Hayden as Marshall
Oleg Mirochnikov as Valerian
Antonio Salines as Fiat Driver
Miloud Mourad Benamara as Street Sweeper
Gido Schimanski as Chairman
Nigel Barber as Head of Nation
Patrice Naiambana as Head of Nation
Stéphane Cornicard as Head of Nation
Gary Fannin as Head of Nation
Sadao Ueda as Head of Nation
Phillip Law as Head of Nation
Wai Wong as Head of Nation
Joseph Balderrama as Head of Nation
Eiji Mihara as Aide
Junichi Kajioka as Aide
Victor Schefé as Clinic Barman
Harald Windisch as Clinic Security Guard
Tristan Matthiae as Clinic Security Guard
Detlef Bothe as Cable Car Heavy
Bodo Friesecke as Cable Car Heavy
Wilhelm Iben as Syringe Heavy
Noemi Krausz as Snowboarder
Noah Saavedra as Snowboarder
Francis Attakpah as Snowboarder
Michael Glantschnig as Snowboarder
Marlon Boess as Snowboarder
Marie Wohlmuth as Snowboarder
Lili Epply as Snowboarder
Konstantin Gerlach as Snowboarder
Lara Parmiani as L'Americain Manager
Umit Ulgen as Train Guard
Amra Mallassi as Train Waiter
Ziad Abaza as Train Barman
Walid Mumuni as Blofeld's Chauffeur
Derek Horsham as Blofeld's Guard
Nari Blair-Mangat as Blofeld's Guard
Michael White as Blofeld's Butler
Adam McGrady as Blofeld's Waiter
Nader Dernaika as Blofeld's Analyst
Pezh Maan as Blofeld's Chief Analyst
Judi Dench as M (uncredited)
Kim Adis as Lair Staff (uncredited)
Steve Barnett as Russian Bodyguard (uncredited)
Romeo Visca as Bodyguard (uncredited)
Kumud Pant as Lair Staff
Karl Farrer as Businessman (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 4 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 21% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 166

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers

Scenes	Women's lines	Men's lines
1 to 4	0	0
5 to 8	3	8
9 to 12	0	2
13 to 16	0	9
17 to 20	18	16
21 to 24	0	18
25 to 28	3	9
29 to 32	16	22
33 to 36	1	17
37 to 40	6	6
41 to 44	0	1
45 to 48	0	29
49 to 52	0	1
53 to 56	21	21
57 to 60	0	16
61 to 64	2	0
65 to 68	0	0
69 to 72	1	2
73 to 76	0	4
77 to 80	4	5
81 to 84	8	0
85 to 88	16	13
89 to 92	1	3
93 to 96	6	11
97 to 100	0	2
101 to 104	16	18
105 to 108	2	0
109 to 112	1	5
113 to 116	5	52
117 to 120	0	10
121 to 124	0	3
125 to 128	4	4
129 to 132	0	11
133 to 136	1	0
137 to 140	0	0
141 to 144	0	5
145 to 148	0	1
149 to 152	2	4
153 to 156	2	2
157 to 160	4	5
161 to 164	1	10
165 to 166	1	4

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 29 are women's.

145 lines from women, 349 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

12 women and 64 men in the cast. 4 women and 12 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 2 of 624. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 64 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 27% of the words (1,395), men 73% (3,710). Women have 29% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.

Exhibit D: the test the other way

Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.

Conversations between two named characters

Two women

Two men

Exhibit E: behind the camera

4 of the 16 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 22% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Sam Mendes (man)
Written by: John Logan (man), Jez Butterworth (man), Robert Wade (man), Neal Purvis (man)
Produced by: Michael G. Wilson (man), Barbara Broccoli (woman)
Shot by: Hoyte van Hoytema (man)
Edited by: Lee Smith (man)
Music by: Thomas Newman (man)
Production design by: Dennis Gassner (man)
Costumes by: Jany Temime (woman)
Cast by: Stéphane Foenkinos (man), Nicole Schmied (woman), Amal El-Farfachi (gender not listed), Debbie McWilliams (woman)