The Eastern Western: formation, problems, paradigms.

This article critically examines the concept of the "Eastern Western," a term used to describe Asian films that incorporate elements of the Western genre, highlighting its divergence from traditional genre formation models such as Rick Altman’s adjective-to-noun progression. Unlike terms like "Spaghetti Western," where the modifier denotes institutional or geographical facts rather than content or form, the "Eastern Western" label has been variably defined and applied, often emphasizing hybridity, parody, and postmodern pastiche. The article discusses the challenges in categorizing these films as a coherent genre or cycle due to sparse inter-film influences, diverse national contexts, and significant generic hybridization that complicates singular genre classification. It further contrasts single-genre frameworks with hybridization paradigms, arguing that the latter better accommodate the films’ industrial, cultural, and aesthetic complexities, and calls for a dual approach that recognizes both dominant generic elements and the films’ multifaceted hybrid nature.