Citing a movie in MLA 9th edition requires carefully constructing a Works Cited entry that accurately reflects the film’s details, ensuring proper attribution and allowing your audience to locate the source. This guide provides a thorough breakdown of the process, covering every element from the director to supplemental materials, ensuring your citations are accurate and impactful.
The Core Components of an MLA Movie Citation
The MLA 9th edition provides a template for citing various sources, including films. The basic formula for citing a movie is as follows:
Director, Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Distributor, Year of Release.
Let’s break down each element:
- Director, Last Name, First Name, director: Begin with the director’s name, last name first, followed by a comma, then their first name. Add a comma and then the word “director” to indicate their role. While traditionally only listing the primary director, you can include multiple directors if the film has several credited as such. If you’re focusing on the contribution of a different individual (e.g., a screenwriter or actor), adjust the citation to highlight their role (discussed further below).
- Title of Movie: Italize the full title of the movie. Capitalize the first word, the last word, and all principal words in the title. Subtitles are also included after a colon and space.
- Distributor: This is the company responsible for distributing the film. It is usually found at the beginning or end of the film’s credits or on the film’s packaging. Common distributors include Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Sony Pictures Releasing.
- Year of Release: Provide the year the movie was initially released in theaters.
Example:
Spielberg, Steven, director. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Paramount Pictures, 1981.
This is the basic format, but there are variations depending on how you accessed the film and what you want to emphasize in your citation.
Citing a Movie Viewed Online
Many people now watch movies through streaming services. To cite a movie viewed online, you’ll need to add information about the platform:
Director, Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Distributor, Year of Release. Streaming Service.
- Streaming Service: After the year of release, add the name of the streaming service where you watched the film, italicized.
Example:
Scorsese, Martin, director. The Wolf of Wall Street. Paramount Pictures, 2013. Netflix.
Highlighting Specific Performances or Contributions
Sometimes, you’ll want to focus on a specific actor’s performance, a screenwriter’s contribution, or another aspect of the film beyond just the direction. In these cases, you’ll adjust the citation to reflect the individual’s role:
Actor, Last Name, First Name, performer. Title of Movie. Directed by Director, First Name Last Name, Distributor, Year of Release.
- Actor, Last Name, First Name, performer: Begin with the actor’s name, last name first, followed by a comma, then their first name. Add a comma and then the word “performer” to indicate their role.
- Directed by Director, First Name Last Name: Include the director’s name after the movie title, preceded by the phrase “Directed by.”
Example (Focusing on an Actor):
Hepburn, Audrey, performer. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Directed by Blake Edwards, Paramount Pictures, 1961.
You can adapt this formula for other roles such as screenwriters, composers, or cinematographers. Just replace “performer” with the appropriate term (e.g., “screenwriter”, “composer”, “cinematographer”).
Citing Specific Scenes or Segments
If you are only referencing a specific scene or segment of the film, you can indicate this in your in-text citation. Unfortunately, MLA doesn’t provide a precise method for doing this within the Works Cited entry itself. The best practice is to describe the segment you’re referencing with enough detail in your writing. Your in-text citation will then lead the reader to the full Works Cited entry for the film. For example:
(Spielberg Raiders)
The Works Cited entry remains:
Spielberg, Steven, director. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Paramount Pictures, 1981.
Adding Information About Supplemental Material
DVDs and Blu-rays often include bonus features, such as deleted scenes, director’s commentaries, and behind-the-scenes documentaries. If you’re citing this supplemental material, you need to include that information in your citation.
Director, Last Name, First Name, director. Title of Movie. Distributor, Year of Release. Title of Supplemental Material, directed/performed/written by Name, Distributor, Year of Release.
Example (Citing a Director’s Commentary):
Kubrick, Stanley, director. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968. Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What if the director isn’t explicitly credited?
If the director isn’t explicitly credited on the film, you can omit that information from the citation. Begin directly with the title of the movie. However, it’s rare for a film not to credit a director. Double-check the opening and closing credits.
2. How do I cite a film that’s a remake of an older film?
Cite the film you actually watched. There’s no need to include information about the original film in the Works Cited entry unless you are directly referencing it. However, in your analysis, you should acknowledge that the film is a remake.
3. What if the movie has multiple distributors? Which one do I list?
List the distributor that is most commonly associated with the film or the one that is most relevant to your access of the film. For example, if you watched it on a specific streaming platform that also acted as a distributor, list that one.
4. Should I include the running time of the movie in the citation?
No, MLA 9th edition does not require you to include the running time of the movie in the Works Cited entry.
5. How do I cite a movie that I watched on DVD or Blu-ray?
The citation format remains the same as the basic movie citation. You don’t need to specify “DVD” or “Blu-ray” in the Works Cited entry. However, if you are citing supplemental material included on the disc, you would include information about that material as explained above.
6. What if the film is part of a series or franchise?
If the film is part of a series, you can include the series title after the film title, separated by a comma:
Spielberg, Steven, director. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones series. Paramount Pictures, 1989.
7. How do I handle in-text citations for movies?
For in-text citations, use the director’s last name and a shortened form of the title:
(Spielberg Crusade)
If you are focusing on an actor, use the actor’s last name instead of the director’s:
(Hepburn Breakfast)
8. What if the film doesn’t have a traditional distributor (e.g., an independent film)?
In this case, list the production company or the organization that released the film. If no distributor or production company can be found, you can omit that information from the citation.
9. Can I use “dir.” instead of “director”?
No. MLA 9th edition requires you to spell out the word “director.” Do not use abbreviations in the Works Cited entry.
10. How do I cite a foreign film with an English-translated title?
List the original title followed by the English translation in square brackets:
Fellini, Federico, director. La Dolce Vita [The Sweet Life]. Riama Film, 1960.
11. What if I want to cite a specific quote from a movie’s script?
If you are citing a quote from the movie’s script, it’s best practice to find a published version of the script. If you can find a published script, cite it as you would cite a book. If you are relying on the dialogue as it appears in the film itself, treat it as you would any direct quote from the film, and provide context in your writing to indicate its origin.
12. How do I handle a situation where information is missing from the film credits?
If you cannot find a piece of information, simply omit it from the citation. Do not make up information or guess. Focus on providing the most accurate information possible based on what is available. If, for example, the film absolutely has a distributor but you cannot discern it from any source, you can still cite the film leaving that element out. Ensure you document your attempts to find the information in your notes so you can justify the omission if questioned.
By following these guidelines and examples, you can confidently and accurately cite movies in MLA 9th edition, ensuring proper attribution and enhancing the credibility of your research. Remember to always double-check your citations and consult the official MLA Handbook for the most up-to-date information.