Bastard, Go and Kill (1971) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place in San Rosario, a dusty frontier town in Mexico where landowners, officials, and outlaws clash for control. The surrounding desert and rough streets shape daily life and create an environment where sudden violence is common.

• san rosario
• mexico
• frontier town
• setting
• western setting

The narrative unfolds in the late 19th century, a period when bounty hunting, shifting loyalties, and improvised justice defined frontier life. This era saw wealth and authority frequently override formal law.

• late 19th century
• frontier era
• western period
• historical setting

The film explores several interconnected themes: Revenge drives the plot as characters respond to violence with further violence. Corruption permeates the frontier where officials exploit chaos for personal gain. The harsh landscape itself functions as a character that tests endurance. Additionally, unlikely alliances form as former rivals unite against common threats.

• themes
• revenge
• corruption
• frontier
• alliance
• mexican western themes

San Rosario is a lawless frontier town where power struggles between landowners, officials, and outlaws constantly play out. The dusty streets and surrounding desert create a dangerous environment where surveillance is difficult and violence can erupt without warning. The town serves as a focal point for factions seeking control over shops, prisoners, and respect.

• san rosario
• frontier town
• mexican town
• dangerous setting

Tobia Velasquez is a young Mexican peon who becomes the center of a high-stakes chase after being seduced by Susanna. He endures considerable peril, escapes capture multiple times, and returns to San Rosario where his status as a hero is contested. Resourceful and resilient, he navigates jail, public perception, and shifting loyalties to influence the town's fate.

• tobias Velasquez
• protagonist
• young peon
• mexican character

Chaco is a cunning figure caught between pursuit and power who moves through the desert and town with tactical smarts. His arrival in San Rosario as a celebrated yet controversial figure exposes the town's divisions. He partners with Tobia at crucial moments to confront the murderers and restore some order to the chaotic frontier.

• chaco
• antihero
• cunning character
• bounty hunter
• ally

Don Felipe Antonio de Martinez is the powerful landowner whose interests drive much of the violence and obstruction in the story. His influence shapes rivalries throughout the movie, and his murder becomes a turning point in the struggle for control over San Rosario. He embodies the corrupt, money-driven nature of frontier society.

• don felipe antonio
• landowner
• villain
• powerful antagonist

Susanna is a young woman whose seduction of Tobia kickstarts the central conflict, triggering his pursuit and suspicion. Her actions set events in motion and complicate loyalties among the townspeople. Her role as catalyst highlights themes of desire and social leverage in the lawless frontier setting.

• susanna
• seduction
• catalyst
• character role
• triggers conflict

The film portrays revenge as a double-edged force: it can catalyze justice but also perpetuate further bloodshed. Pursuit and retaliation drive the plot as characters unleash and respond to violence. Alliances are formed and broken in the wake of conflicts sparked by past harms, showing how revenge creates cycles that are difficult to break.

• revenge theme
• cycle of violence
• retaliation
• justice vs revenge

Corruption pervades San Rosario as officials and power brokers exploit the chaos for personal gain. Money and influence often override formal justice, shaping outcomes more than the letter of the law. The narrative exposes how bribes and favors tilt the balance of power, creating an environment where the line between law and manipulation constantly blurs.

• corruption
• bribes
• lawlessness
• power abuse
• justice system

The harsh desert landscape functions as a character itself, testing endurance and shaping decisions. Survival and loyalty are constantly weighed against scarcity and danger. The setting highlights the moral ambiguity of life on the edge of civilization, where characters must make tough choices simply to survive another day.

• desert
• frontier survival
• harsh landscape
• moral ambiguity
• nature as character

Unlikely collaborations emerge as former rivals join forces against common threats. Trust is fragile and built through shared danger and necessity. The narrative suggests that strategic partnership can prevail over brute force, with characters forming tenuous alliances to achieve goals they could not accomplish alone.

• alliances
• partnerships
• unlikely allies
• trust
• strategic collaboration