QWERTY: A Film Analysis

To serve and protect the people. 

The irony to this is shown in QWERTY, a film about the corruption and harassment that lurks in the Philippine police force. It revolves around a cop, Leo Concepcion, on his last day of duty before he departs for Qatar, yet due to unexpected unfortunate events, he gets caught up with the flawed system he works for. Unluckily, he has been wrongly involved in a torture video that went viral. 

As it seems, QWERTY is based on the real-life police torture video in one of Manila’s precincts posted on YouTube two years ago, which caused worldwide indignation and has become the “talk-of-the-town” until today. The video showed a naked suspect with a string on his genitals, grimacing in pain as the Senior Inspector tugs at the string each time the victim fails to answer questions; it was reported later that the man died (Amnesty International, 2010). 

QWERTY blatantly pinpoints the wrongs of the system and various mechanisms were used to achieve such.

There are several significant elements shown, which only proved how much depth and substance the film had, despite reviews and comments saying how pointless and redundant it seemed it was. Palpably, it is done in film noir style – in black and white. 

Pure black-and-white films have become rare as digital technology emerged; thus, there are good reasons why directors utilize occasional black-and-white films. It is interesting to note that QWERTY was not a historical, “flashback” film, yet it was still portrayed in black and white to fabricate the expected film noir. Britannica says that a film noir or “dark film” is a style of filmmaking characterized by elements such as cynical heroes, dark, bleak lightning effects to enhance the drama. Normally, it uses high contrast lightning such as black and white (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.). Often, classic film noir create moods such as melancholy, alienation, desolation, disillusionment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia. It appears that the film contains such atmosphere – dark, desolate and intense. Plausibly, the use of bleak colors, in this case, black and white, can help portray the QWERTY’s theme and narrative effectively.

The black and white element seen in the film seemed insignificant at first and was probably just an effect the director wanted to make it look and feel “dramatic.” However, it was also needed as reinforcement to the suspense and fear that the audience is expected to experience. In QWERTY, just at the beginning of the film, when the credits are being “typed” down just like how the cop types his crime report in the typewriter, one can already sense the invoked fear and bleakness that exists throughout the film, without prior knowledge of the plot. 

Just the mere effect of the grayscale colors, the impact of the film’s violence and brutality is more heightened. For instance, in one scene when Concepcion was off to duty and was on his way to the precinct, he passes through a narrow alley, with the walls trying to cave him in, walking away from the camera. Without narration and dialogues and other explicit mechanisms, the mere contrast evoked the tension and the gravity of the drama. Because of the deep-focus shots, low-key lighting and especially the effect of black and white, such eerie atmosphere and suspense is experienced by the viewer. The high-contrast (black and white) lighting and contrast, therefore, is essential in the composition of the film noir style in QWERTY, bearing in mind that it portrays police violence and corruption. As a result, the brutality of several scenes is enhanced.

QWERTY speaks of polarities – black and white – good and evil. It portrays both the “familiar” picture of a violent, corrupt, inhumane cop like Dela Cruz and the “ideal” noble cops who abide by their principle – “to serve and protect the people.” Thus, although we all have the general perception that police men are corrupt, violent and inhumane, the film portrays that there are still seemingly “noble” cops (well, at least one cop) who disagrees and are displeased with how the “norm” within the police system is perpetuated. They cannot change the system themselves; they either conform anyway or willfully attempt to untangle themselves from it instead. An escape from the police force and a search for a better job abroad may be the only means to be free yet, on his last day of duty, he finds himself enslaved by the system. It seems that once you’re in, you may never be free. Such despair, hopelessness, frustration and extremities can be felt all throughout the movie. The black and white contrast is obviously a huge factor to these seemingly nuisances.

As much as grayscale colors are critical in conveying the message of the film and can indeed be a symbolic artistic expression, the title is also an important metaphor for one to understand the film in its entirety. QWERTY refers to the universal keyboard style used originally in typewriters, computers and mobile phones. It is said that the original keyboard style is not the most functional of designs but to change all keyboards in the world is no longer possible due to its universal prevalence, just like corruption in the police force (DJ Mojo Jojo, 2012).

The 2012 Cinemalaya featured a similar film, Posas. A significant amount of brutality and corruption is also portrayed in the very center of the institution that seeks to eradicate it. Posas contained the same anger and frustration evoked not just by the characters but also by similar dramatic elements such as low-key lighting and akin camera angles. While QWERTY was a full-feature black and white film, Posas did not have the same contrast; it was colored. However, the colors were also bleak and pale, highlighting the torture and the horror experienced by both the victims and the viewers. For instance, in Posas, the darkness of the torture room, where the suspect was gagged and drowned and soaked in, reflected the darkness of how they treated the prisoners. This obscurity can also be found in a scene where they tortured the poor man who was blindfolded and chained, where only sinister colors can be seen. In contrast, in QWERTY, from beginning to end and morning to evening, the colors were always gloomy, since it is black-and-white – probably an amplification of how impious not only the police force was but how the portrayed world is in reality. Moreover, both films also showed the darkness of the alleyways which revealed the many unknown things that take place therein.

Ultimately, QWERTY is an exceptional work of art. With the use of various mechanisms, such as monochrome contrasts, lighting and compositions, the message and the intended artistic expression are effectively expressed in its fullest measure, despite its predictability and redundancy. An intense emotional impact is inevitably cultivated in the experiences of the viewers, at least in mine. Such elements make it not only impacting but it also makes it more real than reality. That, I believe, is the measure of a well-crafted film.

Is the Internet Making us S2pd?

In an age of instant noodles, McDonalds and digital technology, people now want to get things done rapidly and proficiently. Inevitably, the emergence of Internet has filled the increasing need for more speed and efficiency. It has wrought much change and has become a recurrent subject in most media studies and “talk-abouts.”

The Internet has paved the way for an on-going debate of whether the increasing use of such has become an addiction or simply a natural evolution. Many say that it has made us more competent since more information is available. On the other hand, some critics and scholars have claimed that the harmful effects of the Internet far outweigh its benefits. They argue that it has made us become overly dependent on the Internet and at some level, “stupid.” 

Even so, I believe it has greatly impacted how we think, write and speak but it does not leave us passive and powerless.

According to David Crystal, “the online mode of writing has become especially adopted to the new world of communicative efficiency and rapidity” (Parungao, 2011). In short, our words and phrases have become simplified and shortened because we want to get our and their message across as fast as possible. 

Aside from saying, “by the way”, in Netlingo, we say, “BTW.” In fact, in sending e-mails, even businessmen simplify their messages. “C2C” means consumer-to-consumer, an acronym used to describe the sale and purchase of an item from one individual to another, as in the case of online auctions like eBay (Netlingo.com). Thus, using internet language can be more time and work-efficient, considering how fast-paced our society has become. In this sense, the Internet can be a positive functional medium, allowing us to pool our resources to accomplish more.

However, some see it as harmful and destructive and can, for instance, cause a general deterioration in the quality of language and work. In other words, it can downgrade our intelligence and therefore damage how we think. Instead of reading for context and nuance, the Internet encourages us to merely skim for fast facts that lack substance. 

Critics assume that reading bullet points and Twitter postings turns our thoughts into bullet points and Twitter postings. 

On an extreme note, moreover, there are claims that the internet is not only shaping our lives but physically altering our brains. 

The Internet, as they say, with its constant distractions and interruptions, is turning us into scattered and superficial thinkers. 

Nicholas Carr, a technology scholar, spurred the debate on whether such notion is true and claimed that Google is making us more “dumb." He even supports this claim with biological assumptions. According to him, modern neuroscience shows that our habitual practices can actually change our “brain structures.” 

For instance, the brains of illiterate people are structurally different from those of people who can read. If learning to read could shape human brains, we can assume that our addiction to Internet can do something similar. In fact, according to a study made on its effect on student performance, using the Internet for “recreational purposes” had a negative effect on test performance, particularly for reading scores.

Given the cases illustrating how the Internet and using its language can be harmful, it cannot be denied that it has brought much influence to culture and society. In my opinion, however, the Internet is much influential but it does not leave the individual powerless – overly dependent and therefore, “stupid.”

Critics of the Internet use science to press their case, backing up with research that shows how it can change our brains when in fact, according to Harvard professor Pinker, every time we learn a fact or skill the wiring of the brain changes. It is true though that the pervasive use of the net can be distracting or addictive, especially to people with attention deficit disorder. 

However, if we think about it, distraction is not a new phenomenon. Hence, I argue that instead of bewailing the Internet, the solution must be to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every “distraction” in life.

The expression of informality in writing has greatly increased – something which has not been seen in English since the Middle Ages. True, it can damage the structural notion of what writing must be. However, I think that as the Internet is becoming linguistically diverse, it is able to reach out to the minorities and their languages. 

In fact, according to Crystal, it has encouraged a dramatic expansion in the variety and creativity of language. More than that, encouraging intellectual depth is the responsibility of universities. 

According to Pinker, “it’s not as if habits of deep reflection, thorough research and rigorous reasoning ever came naturally to people.” Thus, they must be gained in institutions such as schools and maintained with constant upkeep, which we call “analysis, criticism and debate." 

Besides, intellectual competence is not gained by merely propping a heavy encyclopedia on our laps nor are they taken away by efficient access to information on the net.

Information has been increasing immensely and the Internet has been helping us manage, search and retrieve more information, from Twitter and previews to e-books and online encyclopedias. 

In fact, in a study made by the Pew Research Centre’s Internet and American Life project, interviewing a panel of more than 370 internet experts, 81% of them agreed with the proposition that “people’s use of the internet has enhanced human intelligence." 

Elon University’s researcher Janna Anderson said that “there is no doubt that the Internet is making much more information available, instantly, in more formats to more people, thus this tool is definitely enhancing the intelligence of those who are fortunate enough to be able to go online.” 

Far from making us stupid, online technology is a tool for us to acquire a vast wealth of information at the touch of our fingertips. 

My mother told me that to write research papers, she would need many hours to look for the right books and research material from the multi-storied UP Main Library. Today, one doesn’t need that much time because the Internet cuts the time by half.

In my opinion, the individual has the responsibility to filter all information and use what he or she needs. In most instances, the bombardment of information provided by the Internet makes an individual lazy to do critical thinking. 

But the responsibility again lies on the individual to counteract that premise.