The film opens with shots of Klaus Kinski performing, after his own interpretation, the role of Jesus. Kinski harangues the audience for not paying attention to him, curses wildly, has the microphone taken away from him, and, screaming, steals it back. Kinski left one of his Jesus tours to star in Herzog's film "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972). This was the first of five films that the two would make together, the others being "Nosferatu the Vampyre" (1978); "Woyzeck" (1978); "Fitzcarraldo" (1982); and "Cobra Verde" (1987).