Shoot the Sun Down 1978

In the late 1870s, as large swaths of the Old West still fall under Mexican governance, four travelers push through the arid deserts north of Texas, roughly a three‑day ride from Santa Fe. The landscape is unforgiving, with unmonitored stretches where Americans contend with Spanish troops and where powerful Native American tribes—such as the Navajo, Apache, and Hopi—hold their own domains. Within this harsh setting, a precarious quest for Montezuma’s gold looms large, shaping every choice and every risk the travelers take.

Four travelers make up the core group: Scalphunter, a buffalo-hide trader who claims his trade and his fortune are closely tied; The Captain, a former ship captain who has set his sights on the same gold; The Woman from England, a young Englishwoman who has signed a five‑year indenture in exchange for passage to America; and Mr. Rainbow, a former Confederate soldier who deserted rather than continue a brutal mission to hunt and kill Indigenous people. Together they traverse a dangerous, sun-scorched world where alliances shift as quickly as the desert winds.

The Captain leads the expedition into the hunt for Montezuma’s gold, aware that danger comes not only from hostile Native warriors but also from the reach of Mexican soldiers who guard the territory. The Girl, as the Englishwoman is known, longs to break her contract and seek a freer life—ideally heading toward New Orleans—with the help of Rainbow and the Captain. Meanwhile, the Scalphunter pursues his own stake in the treasure, chasing not just wealth but leverage over the group and the fate of those they encounter along the Viaje de la Muerte, the grueling Journey of Death that cuts through the heart of the desert.

As the quartet pushes deeper toward the rumored riches, the Scalphunter and the Captain sense their competition growing too obvious to ignore. They strike an uneasy pact and turn on Rainbow, binding him to the rocks to die under the desert heat. Their plan to force the Girl to stay under control falters as they retreat from her freedom agreement, leaving Rainbow to face a brutal reckoning alone. The violence and the shifting loyalties expose the fragile threads holding the group together, and the desert itself becomes a witness to every calculated move.

An elder of the Tribe intervenes, freeing Rainbow and placing the burden of responsibility squarely on his shoulders. He asks Rainbow to save his family and his people from the Scalphunter’s greed and the Captain’s opportunism. With this new purpose, Rainbow races across the blistering landscape, racing against time to rescue the Girl and break the hold the two men have over them. The mission evolves beyond a simple treasure hunt into a test of resilience, trust, and the power of choice in a world where survival often demands both courage and mercy.

With the path finally cleared for liberation, Rainbow and the Girl join forces as they confront the looming threat of the Scalphunter and the Captain. They roll a massive wheel of Montezuma’s gold across the worst of the desert, a surreal symbol of hope and peril alike. The journey collides with a contingent of Spanish soldiers who arrive with the authority to seize the treasure, turning the pursuit into a tense and brutal conflict. A fierce shoot-out erupts, leaving both sides dealing with disastrous consequences as the wagon, the gold, and the lives involved are all put at stake.

In the end, the story threads together themes of greed, freedom, and the enduring strength of those who refuse to abandon one another in the face of overwhelming hardship. The desert test, the changing loyalties, and the ultimate confrontation with Spanish forces create a sprawling, cinematic tale that tracks how a quartet of seekers—each driven by their own past and their own dreams—navigates a landscape where every decision can alter the course of their lives and the lives of those they encounter along the way.