Set on a backdrop of the building of the great railways, the movie tells the story of one woman and three men. Frank (Henry Fonda), a gunman doing the dirty work for Morton, a railroad tycoon, Harmonica (Charles Bronson), whose harsh quest is to avenge the murder of his brother by Frank, and Cheyenne (Jason Robards), who is constantly looking for opportunities to get hold of some gold. The woman, Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale), turns out to be in possession of such an opportunity, but it remains unclear until the end of the movie what the nature of this opportunity is. Nevertheless, the story revolves around it until at the end, when finally it is reveavled by Harmonica, who has had his revenge. The movie tells the story of the beginning age of industrialization in the US in grand pictures and iconic characters, where all that was is lost and everything can be won anew by a new breed of pioneers.