Michael Konig and Gunther Kaufmann star in R.W. Fassbinder's bitterly comic film as two young Germans without any prospects for the future who are utterly bored with their meager existence. When they discover a legend about hidden treasure in Peru's Rio das Mortes region, they start planning a treasure hunt -- but Konig's fiancée regards their obsession as a ridiculous pipe dream and threatens violence if they follow through.