This is the second part of "The German Trilogy" directed by Liliana Cavani. In The Night Porter she portrayed the connection between perversion and fascism. This time she depicts the life of Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher who wrote Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Beyond Good and Evil.
Virna Lisi won the Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress award Nastro d'Argento (Silver Ribbon) from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.