The European Western is a subgenre that is exclusive to the European continent. Narratives from this subgenre come from a variety of different countries who each interpret Westerns differently. They can be violent, gritty, realistic, or romanticized. Films fitting this subgenre are produced. and typically filmed, in their respective European countries. The narrative may take place either in the American West or in a European location that bears resemblance to it. The film's actors and production team do not have to be European. Films are confined to this category if the production is mainly European. European Western literature follows a similar rule in that the authors are European, the books are published in Europe, but everything about the narrative plays like a classic Western.