Cobra Verde (1987)

During the 1800s, paroled Brazilian bandit Cobra Verde is sent to West Africa with a few troops to man an old Portuguese fort and to convince the local African ruler to resume the slave trade with Brazil.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Bruce Chatwin (novel), Werner Herzog

Stars:

Klaus Kinski, King Ampaw, José Lewgoy

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Klaus Kinski	...	Francisco Manoel da Silva / Cobra Verde
King Ampaw	...	Taparica
José Lewgoy	...	Don Octavio Coutinho
Salvatore Basile	...	Captain Fraternidade
Peter Berling	...	Bernabé
Guillermo Coronel	...	Euclides
Nana Agyefi Kwame II	...	Bossa Ahadee (as His Royal Highness Nana Agyefi Kwame II of Nsein)
Nana Fedu Abodo	...	Yovogan
Kofi Yerenkyi	...	Bakoko
Kwesi Fase	...	Kankpé
Benito Stefanelli	...	Captain Pedro Vicente
Kofi Bryan	...	Messenger of Bossa Ahadee
Carlos Mayolo	...	Governor of Bahia
Pedro Oliveira
A. Kwesi Compson

Storyline

The feared bandit Cobra Verde (Klaus Kinski) is hired by a plantation owner to supervise his slaves. After the owner suspects Cobra Verde of consorting with his young daughters, the owner wishes him gone. Rather than kill him,the owner sends Cobra Verde to Africa. The only white man in the area, Cobra Verde finds himself the victim of torture and humiliation. Later, he trains soldiers in a rebel army. Far from home, Cobra Verde is on the edge of madness.

---

Plot Keywords:

sugar | tribe | cinema | ship | drummer | 

---

Taglines:

The slaves will sell their masters and grow wings...

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany Ghana

Language:

German Ewe Portuguese

Release Date:

3 December 1987 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Slave Coast

Filming Locations:

Brazil

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), Ghana Film Industry Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) Color (Agfacolor) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fifth and last of the Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski collaborations, the other four being: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Woyzeck (1979) & Fitzcarraldo (1982).

---

Goofs

The kingdom of Dahomey, where the African part of the story is allegedly set, was in present day Benin, while Elmina Castle is located in present day Ghana, 500 km to the West.

---

Quotes

Taparica: Aren't you afraid? Aren't you afraid of dying?
Francisco Manoel da Silva: I haven't tried it yet.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Big Box: To the Devil a Daughter (2009)

User Reviews

A fascinating look at some African cultures.

'Cobra Verde' is at times a confusing and awkward story about a bandit who finds himself trapped within the slave trade business. What begins as a story of a feared outlaw turns out to be a story examining African cultures and the issue of slavery itself. What makes this movie more interesting than other American films slavery is that the viewer gets to see the other side of the story; the story told from an African viewpoint. International star Klaus Kinski stars a Cobra Verde. He is a feared bandit whom many people fear. When he appears in a small town, all the people runs inside their houses because they are scared to death of him. Many things are missing from Cobra Verde's past. How did he become such a feared bandit? The movie does not answer that question. Through a series of odd circumstances, he is eventually put into the slavery trade business by a group of rich aristocrats. He is sent to Africa, where it is hoped he will be killed because of the slave trade conflicts going on there. What happens is th exact opposite. He gains the trust of the African villagers and eventually trains an army to kill and enemy foe. All the while the viewers are treated to an inside look at some African customs, religions, superstitions, and society. A beautifully made film that is a little marred by changes in the sequences of the story and many things missing from the plot. Nonetheless, this film has one of the most memorable and touching death scenes I have ever seen. Bravo to Klaus Kinski.