Sposoby funkcjonowania odniesień intertekstualnych oraz konsekwencje remediacji formuły gatunkowej westernu w grze Call of Juarez

The analysis explores how the video game Call of Juarez (2006) successfully revitalized the Western genre through intertextual references and the remediation of cinematic tropes. While the Western film genre has faced a prolonged decline since the 1970s, often attributed to sociological shifts and the negation of traditional binary moralities, the game demonstrates that the genre remains commercially and culturally viable within interactive media. The study posits that the decline of the Western in cinema is primarily an economic phenomenon—driven by financial risks and a loss of producer confidence—rather than a fundamental loss of audience interest.

The research highlights that Call of Juarez employs two primary strategies to engage players: explicit intertextual references and the remediation of genre-specific mechanics. Fabular and iconographic allusions to iconic works, such as the films of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah, and the Indiana Jones series, serve as intellectual rewards for players familiar with the genre. Simultaneously, the game remediates Western conventions by enforcing traditional archetypes, such as the binary opposition between civilization and the wilderness, and imposing moral constraints—such as prohibitions against shooting animals or corpses—that mirror the classical Hollywood code.

By analyzing the game’s narrative structure and mechanics, the study concludes that these elements provide a sense of agency that exceeds the passive experience of cinema. The game functions as a bridge for modern audiences, allowing them to participate in a classic Western mythology that is increasingly rare in contemporary film. Ultimately, the success of Call of Juarez suggests that video games offer a more sustainable platform for the Western genre than traditional cinema, as they can leverage established genre codes to create immersive experiences without the prohibitive financial risks currently associated with high-budget Western film production.