Some 200 years ago, Mexico is ruled by the Spanish crown and church facing local rebellions and Yaqui Indian insurrection. Outlaw Leon Alastray (Anthony Quinn) escapes the military and finds sanctuary inside a church. Father Joseph (Sam Jaffe) smuggles him past the military checkpoint. He joins the priest on his journey to the remote god forsaken abandoned village of San Sebastian. The priest is killed by an anti-church marauder led by Teclo (Charles Bronson). The villagers had moved into the hills to avoid Yaqui attacks under Teclo's protection. The villagers return mistaking Alastray for a priest.
It's an old fashion spaghetti western. It even has its own version of Indians. The main drawback is that the Indians are not really the villains. They're hard to root against. They have real grievances which are aggravated by Teclo. The movie shows that they are honorable warriors. The best solution would be to make peace with them and fight their real enemy. In the end, the corrupt overlords are back in control and there are a lot of dead Indians and dead villagers. It's not a satisfying conclusion.
It's an old fashion spaghetti western. It even has its own version of Indians. The main drawback is that the Indians are not really the villains. They're hard to root against. They have real grievances which are aggravated by Teclo. The movie shows that they are honorable warriors. The best solution would be to make peace with them and fight their real enemy. In the end, the corrupt overlords are back in control and there are a lot of dead Indians and dead villagers. It's not a satisfying conclusion.