How to MLA Cite a Movie
Introduction
MLA citation is a common practice in writing academic papers. It is a way to give credit to the sources used in your work. The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides guidelines on how to cite sources, including movies. In this article, we will discuss how to MLA cite a movie.
Basic Format
The basic format for citing a movie in MLA style is as follows:
Title of the movie. Director’s name. Performers names. Distributor, year of release.
Titles of movies should be italicized. The name of the director should be written in the first name-last name format. The names of the performers should be listed in the order they appear in the credits. If there are more than three performers, list only the first followed by “et al.”
The distributor of the movie should be listed, followed by a comma and the year of release. For example:
The Dark Knight. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Performances by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, and Michael Caine. Warner Bros., 2008.
In-Text Citation
When referencing a movie in the text of your paper, include the director and the title of the movie in parentheses. If you refer to the movie by name in the text, you only need to include the director’s name and the page number in parentheses. For example:
In The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan explores the theme of chaos (Nolan).
Alternatively, you can include both the movie’s title and the director’s name in the parentheses. For example:
The theme of chaos is explored in The Dark Knight (Nolan, The Dark Knight).
Works Cited Page
The works cited page is where you list all of the sources you used in your paper. It should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or, if there is no author, by the first word of the title (excluding “A,” “An,” or “The”).
The citation for a movie should follow the basic format discussed earlier. The citation should begin with the Director’s name followed by a period. The title of the movie should be italicized followed by a period. The names of the performers should follow the title, separated by commas. The distributor’s name should follow the performers’ names, followed by a comma and the year of release. Finally, the medium of the source should be listed. For example:
Nolan, Christopher, director. The Dark Knight. Performances by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, and Michael Caine. Warner Bros., 2008. Film.
Online Streaming Services
If you are citing a movie that you watched on an online streaming service, you can include the information of the service and the URL. For example:
Nolan, Christopher, director. The Dark Knight. Performances by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, and Michael Caine. Warner Bros., 2008. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70178217.
Conclusion
MLA citation is an important aspect of writing academic papers. Citing movies correctly can add credibility to your work and show that you have done thorough research. By following the guidelines discussed in this article, you can properly MLA cite a movie in your paper.
