
Synopsis/Details
New Mexico, 1867. The Carlson Ranch is attacked by a gang of woman traffickers, killing everyone on it but two people – Kay Carlson, the 21-year-old daughter of the ranch’s owner, and helper Isaac Castañeda. Kay is taken away by the gang, while Isaac is left for dead. Isaac, however, survives and seeks help in the nearby town of Red Rock Hill to go on Kay’s quest. After failing to find support from the local Marshall, Isaac is surprised to find that former Union Colonel Ian Morrison is willing to help him find a group of gunfighters to head on Kay’s quest.
Isaac and Colonel Morrison are able to recruit four people – bounty hunters Winston Wallace and Christine Ferguson (who are on a personal quest to find the same men that kidnapped Kay), gambler Rodney Spencer, and former miner and dynamite expert Tom O’Connor. Under the name of the Carlson Company, they head on Kay’s quest.
The Carlson Company follows the trafficker’s tracks to the mountain. While in the rain, they take cover on an abandoned farm, where Wallace and Christine share their possible connection to the men who kidnapped Kay. Wallace was supposed to marry Christine’s sister, May, but they were attacked by the gang on the wedding day, causing May’s death and the kidnapping of Christine’s daughter. Wallace and Christine went on her search but found her death at the hands of a gang. They are committed to finding and killing the men who caused this, O’Roarke and Omar Simpson.
During their stay on the abandoned farm, they also get to know Pendrake, a local hunter who recently saw O’Roarke’s men… and they force him to tell them where they go. Pendrake reveals that O’Roarke and his men have gone to the mining town of Silver Moon.
The next day, the Carlson Company continues its way and arrives at Silver Moon. Posing as men wanting to buy women, Col. Morrison takes Wallace, O’Connor, and Spencer to town, while Isaac and Christine cover them from the forest. Col. Morrison’s group meets with Crow McGraw, a pimp who shows them his most recent acquisitions, among which is Kay (who is sick with a bad fever). As Col. Morrison tries to buy Kay, Crow McGraw begins to doubt his identity and the plan falls apart.
O’Roarke arrives and as he recognizes Wallace, a shootout begins. Col. Morrison kills Crow McGraw, and Wallace shoots O’Roarke. Feeling sick of the way women are treated there, Col. Morrison convinces his companions to take all the women with them.
The Carlson Company makes their way through the mining town and escapes after a big shootout that also includes a fair amount of dynamite. They reunite with Isaac and Christine. Seeing that Kay is sick, they decide to head to a nearby fort so she can take care of, while they decide what to do with the rest of the women. Meanwhile, Omar Simpson arrives at Silver Moon and finds out about what happened. He and O’Roarke decide to search for the Carlson Company.
The Carlson Company arrives at a fort and Kay is soon taken care of. A conflicted Wallace shares his disgust of having been unable to find Simpson, and Christine comforts him, promising him that they will find him eventually. Col. Morrison decides that since they have rescued the women, they are responsible for them and must take them to town so they can find their families.
A few days go by and once that Kay gets better, the Carlson Company leaves the fort. Sgt. Rip Ernest and two men tag along to help them get back. Camping at night, Sgt. Ernest suggests they head to the Molina Pass to leave the mountain as soon as possible. Col. Morrison is unsure about it, but agrees that it might be the best way to get out of danger. Meanwhile, Kay thanks Isaac for all he has done to find and rescue her… and after they share their feelings for each other, they make love.
The Carlson Company resumes their traveling the next day. As a storm takes place and they are about to arrive at the Molina Pass, they are ambushed by O’Roarke’s men. Sgt. Ernest and his men are quickly killed, and the company fights O’Roarke’s men while trying to protect the women. During the fight, O’Connor and Spencer while Wallace manages to get his vengeance on Omar Simpson. The women join the fight and are able to kill the last remaining men of O’Roarke’s group, while O’Roarke is confronted by Kay and Isaac. O’Roarke manages to shoot Isaac and is about to kill Kay… when he is shot by Christine. Recovering the gun O’Roarke stole from her during the attack on her ranch, Kay tells him that he is not worthy of all that pain… and executes O’Roarke.
Kay helps a wounded Isaac and the remaining members of the Carlson Company and the women head back to Red Rock Hill.
After burying O’Connor and Spencer, Kay promises Roth’s widow to always look out for her and her daughter. She also asks Col. Morrison to take the women back to their homes, while some of them decide to stay and help Kay on her ranch. Having finished their quest for vengeance, Wallace and Christine decide to stay together and leave without asking Kay for any of the bounty Isaac offered to them initially. A few weeks later, Kay and Isaac are seen working on the Carlson Ranch with the women, now under a clear sky.
All Accolades & Coverage
Barnstorm - "Consider"
Coverfly all time - 29%
Story & Logistics
Story Type:
Rescue
Story Situation:
Abduction
Story Conclusion:
Happy
Linear Structure:
Linear
Moral Affections:
Bad Man, Good Man, Reward
Cast Size:
Several
Locations:
Several
Special Effects:
Blood, Minor pyrotechnics, Other on-set effects, Other practical effects
Characters
Lead Role Ages:
Female Young Adult, Male Young Adult
Hero Type:
Anti-Hero, Ordinary, Unfortunate
Villian Type:
Criminal
Stock Character Types:
Black knight, Damsel in distress, Fall guy, Outlaw
Advanced
Subgenre:
Gunfighter, Outlaw
Action Elements:
Physical Stunts, Pyrotechnics
Equality & Diversity:
Female Protagonist, Passes Bechdel Test
Time Period:
Machine Age (1880–1945)
Country:
United States of America (USA)
Writer Style:
Akira Kurosawa, Joel and Ethan Coen, Quentin Tarantino