When writing the plot for a movie in a paper, does one use literary present or passed tense? In my case, I am writing an essay about the 1978 and 1998 versions of Les Miserables: -In the opening scene of the 1978 film, the set is a dank city with rain inundating a handful of its inhabitants. One of these inhabitants appears to be Jean Valjeans sister; she wanders the streets aimlessly begging for food or money. Does MLA formatting permit passed tense or present?