Since I am supposed to write in MLA format, must I underline or italicize a movie title as a title for my essay?
italicize
Make sure you don't use the movie's title as your whole title. It's already taken, and probably copyrighted.
Use the movie's title in your own title.
In MLA format, when referring to a movie title as a title for your essay, you should italicize it. Underlining is generally used in typewritten or handwritten documents to indicate titles, but in MLA format, italics are preferred.
To clarify, MLA stands for Modern Language Association, which has established guidelines for academic writing, particularly in the field of language and literature. These guidelines help provide consistency and clarity in research papers, essays, and other scholarly works.
When formatting titles within the body of your essay or paper, the MLA convention is to use italics for longer works, such as movies, books, and plays. However, shorter works, such as articles or poems, should be placed within quotation marks.
Here is an example to demonstrate the proper formatting:
In the essay, I discussed the impact of the movie *Citizen Kane* on the film industry.
Note that the movie title *Citizen Kane* is italicized in this case, but if you were referring to a shorter work such as a short film or a short story, it would be enclosed within quotation marks, such as "The Lottery" or "La Jetée."
Remember to check the specific requirements of your assignment or consult your instructor to ensure you are following the MLA guidelines accurately.