Already pretty heavy going, this uncomfortable blend of social theology, coarse comedy and bruising action is made all the more intolerable by the sloppy dubbing. Not that the dialogue would have benefited much from a slicker job, as James R Webb's adaptation of William Barby Faherty's novel A Wall for San Sebastian is full of bombastic pronouncements and glib posturings. Anthony Quinn is at full throttle as a mid-18th-century Mexican drifter posing as a priest. But Henri Verneuil handles the fighting with aplomb, and there's a brooding dignity about Charles Bronson's misguided loyalty. Of course, Ennio Morricone's score helps too.

Leon Alastray is an outlaw who has been given sanctuary by Father John, whom he then escorts to the village of San Sebastian. The village is deserted, with its cowardly residents hiding in the hills from Indians, who regularly attack the village and steal all their supplies. When Father John is murdered, the villagers mistakenly think the outlaw is the priest. Alastray at first tells them he is not a priest, but they don't believe it, and an apparent miracle seems to prove they are correct. Eventually, he assists them in regaining their confidence and defending themselves.