In our scholarly conversations, clarity and precision are paramount. When we weave the work of others into our own—whether quoting a poet, citing a study, or analyzing a film—we have a responsibility to be clear about what is our voice and what belongs to the work we are examining.
This brings us to a seemingly small but significant question of academic craftsmanship: How do we properly refer to a film title in an essay?
Think of it not as a tedious rule to be memorized, but as an act of scholarly courtesy. When you format a movie title correctly, you are sending a clear signal to your reader. You are creating a small, respectful space on the page that says, “I am now referring to a specific, self-contained work of art.” It prevents confusion and shows you are a careful, deliberate writer.
The Fundamental Convention: Setting Titles Apart
The guiding principle in modern academic writing is that the titles of large, standalone works are italicized. This includes books, plays, academic journals, and, of course, feature-length films.
Think of italics as a container. A film like The Godfather contains countless scenes, characters, and lines of dialogue. The italics enclose the entire work as a single, cohesive entity.
- Correct: The final scene of The Godfather remains one of the most chilling sequences in American cinema.
By contrast, we use quotation marks for smaller works that are part of a larger whole—a song on an album, an article in a journal, or an episode of a television series.
- Correct: The episode “The Suitcase” is often cited as a high point of the series Mad Men.
While some older style guides once permitted quotation marks for films, the modern consensus overwhelmingly favors italics. It is the clearest and most professional choice.
Entering the Scholarly Dialogue: On Citation
When you cite a film, you are doing more than just formatting a title; you are providing an address so your reader can find the exact work you are discussing. You are also giving credit to the creators, which is the bedrock of academic integrity. Different academic disciplines have slightly different dialects for this, so it is crucial to know which style your professor requires.
Let’s look at the most common ones:
- MLA (Modern Language Association) Style: Often used in the humanities, MLA emphasizes the work itself and its director. The full works-cited entry would look like this:
- The Godfather. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount Pictures, 1972.
- When referring to it in your text, you would simply use the italicized title.
- APA (American Psychological Association) Style: Common in the social sciences, APA places a strong emphasis on the date of creation. An in-text citation gives credit to the primary creator (the director) and the year.
- In-text citation: (Coppola, 1972)
- The reference list entry would be: Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1972). The Godfather [Film]. Paramount Pictures.
- Chicago Manual of Style: Used frequently in history and the arts, Chicago style is quite flexible. A common format would be:
- In a footnote or endnote: The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola (Hollywood, CA: Paramount Pictures, 1972).
The key is not to memorize every detail of every style, but to know which one you are required to use and to apply it with meticulous consistency.
Habits of a Careful Scholar
Beyond the specific rules, I want to impart a few guiding principles:
- Be Unwaveringly Consistent. Once you choose a format for your titles and citations (based on your instructor’s guidelines), you must use it without deviation throughout your entire essay. Consistency signals to your reader that you are in command of your own writing. Inconsistency is distracting and appears careless.
- Your Instructor is Your Primary Guide. While these are the standard conventions, your professor may have specific preferences. The guidelines for your particular course always take precedence. Following them is an act of respect and shows you are attentive to the details of the assignment.
- Treat Proofreading as an Act of Pride. Before you submit your work, perform one final check specifically for formatting. Reading your essay aloud can help you catch awkward phrasing, but a slow, deliberate visual scan is essential for catching formatting errors. This final polish demonstrates your pride in the work you have created.
When you discuss multiple films, these same principles of clarity and consistency apply. Whether you are listing several films by a single director or weaving two films together in a comparative analysis, format each title correctly every time.
These conventions are not arbitrary hurdles. They are the tools of a craftsperson, the shared language of a scholarly community. By mastering them, you do more than just avoid losing points; you present yourself as a credible, careful, and thoughtful voice in the academic conversation.
