Shoot the Sun Down (1978) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Captain and Scalphunter form an alliance because they both want Montezuma's gold for themselves. Seeing Rainbow as competition and a threat to their plans, they secretly decide to eliminate him. They tie him to rocks in the desert to die under the intense heat, eliminating their rival while pretending to continue the journey together.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension already exists between Rainbow and the two men as greed begins to influence every decision in the group.

• rainbow
• captain
• scalphunter
• betrayal
• montezuma gold
• desert

A tribal elder frees Rainbow from his bonds and begs him to save the tribe's family and people from the Scalphunter's greed and the Captain's opportunism. Rainbow accepts because he sees this as a chance for redemption, his past as a Confederate soldier who deserted after being ordered to hunt and kill Indigenous people haunts him, and protecting the vulnerable allows him to make amends.

Foreshadowing: Rainbow's background as a deserter who refused to continue brutal missions against Indigenous people sets up his moral conflict.

• rainbow
• tribe
• redemption
• scalphunter
• elder
• salvation

Spanish soldiers arrive with authority to seize Montezuma's gold wheel. A fierce shoot-out erupts between them and the group. Both sides suffer disastrous consequences, the confrontation turns chaotic and devastating, with heavy casualties and the fate of the gold left uncertain. The desert becomes a battlefield where the pursuit of wealth leads to mutual destruction.

Foreshadowing: The tension between Mexican territorial control and American treasure seekers has been building throughout the journey.

• spanish soldiers
• shootout
• gold wheel
• montezuma
• casualties
• conflict

Montezuma's gold is a massive treasure represented as a large golden wheel that the group discovers and must transport across the brutal desert. It serves as both the ultimate prize driving the characters' actions and a surreal symbol of hope and peril. The wheel becomes a physical burden that draws all factions toward a singular, dangerous objective.

Foreshadowing: The quest for Montezuma's gold has been the group's stated goal since the beginning of the journey.

• montezuma gold
• treasure
• wheel
• desert
• wealth
• quest

The Girl is a young Englishwoman who signed a five-year indenture in exchange for passage to America. She longs to break her contract and seek a freer life. New Orleans represents her hope for liberation from servitude, and she seeks help from either the Captain or Rainbow to escape her indentured situation.

Foreshadowing: Her constant plea for freedom and her negotiation for passage establish her desperate desire to escape bondage.

• english girl
• new orleans
• indenture
• freedom
• servitude
• escape

The Captain, a former ship captain, has set his sights on Montezuma's gold as his primary motivation for the dangerous journey. The Scalphunter, a buffalo-hide trader, wants wealth and sees the gold as his chance for fortune. Both men prioritize gold over the safety and lives of others in their group, demonstrating how greed corrupts their judgment and morality.

Foreshadowing: Both men reveal their intentions early, with the Scalphunter explaining his plan to profit from the gold.

• captain
• scalphunter
• gold
• greed
• wealth
• montezuma

The tribal elder places the burden of responsibility on Rainbow, believing he can save the tribe's family and people from the Scalphunter. The elder recognizes that Rainbow is different from the other treasure seekers, he has already shown a conscience through his past desertion from the Confederate army. This trust reflects the elder's desperate need for an ally against the threats facing his people.

Foreshadowing: Rainbow's earlier refusal to continue hunting Indigenous people as a Confederate soldier demonstrates his moral character.

• tribal elder
• rainbow
• trust
• tribe
• native
• salvation

The Viaje de la Muerte is the deadly desert route, known as the Journey of Death, that cuts through the heart of the harsh landscape the travelers must cross. It is a perilous path where the Scalphunter moves with a band that includes a captured Native tribe. The route represents the extreme danger and moral cost of pursuing Montezuma's gold.

Foreshadowing: The journey's deadly nature is established early as the group faces hostile tribes and Mexican soldiers.

• viaje de la muerte
• journey of death
• desert route
• danger
• scalphunter

Rainbow is a former Confederate soldier who deserted rather than continue a brutal mission to hunt and kill Indigenous people. His desertion reflects a moral breaking point, he refused to participate in what he saw as unjust violence against Native peoples. This haunted past drives his later willingness to help the tribe and seek redemption.

Foreshadowing: This backstory explains why the tribal elder trusts him and why he ultimately aligns with the vulnerable.

• rainbow
• confederate
• desertion
• native
• past
• redemption

After planning to eliminate Rainbow, the Captain and Scalphunter also abandon their earlier agreement to help the Girl gain her freedom. Their greed eclipses their former promises, their focus on securing Montezuma's gold overrides any commitment to her liberation. The desert amplifies their moral compromise as they prioritize wealth over human freedom.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the journey, the Girl negotiates for passage and plans to break free from servitude.

• captain
• scalphunter
• girl
• freedom
• agreement
• betrayal

The Captain and Scalphunter tie Rainbow to rocks in the desert to die under the brutal heat, abandoning him to a slow, painful death. However, an elder of the tribe intervenes and frees him from his bonds. This intervention gives Rainbow a new purpose, he is asked to save the tribe and the Girl from the two men's greed.

Foreshadowing: The alliance between the Captain and Scalphunter directly leads to this moment of abandonment.

• rainbow
• tied to rocks
• tribe elder
• rescued
• desert
• betrayal