User reviews

In principle, I would feel tempted to give it only a six. Except that then there are "buts"... But there is Werner Herzog. But there is the sociopathically brilliant Klaus Kinski. But there is that unforgettable final scene. But there is the historic memory behind the story. But there are silent scenes of sheer contemplation. But there is the image of the fortress of Elmina (originally Ajudá, or Ouidah), that lingers long after you have seen the movie. But there is the amazing sensuality of all those female-warriors in beautiful war outfits. But there is that young girl singing near the end, the lavish, teasing, provocative, self-assured look on her face, the expression in her eyes, the crystalline/aggressive sound of her voice. And 'but' there is the music. If you have read Bruce Chatwin's novel, you will be able to add up some details to the story line. The horror of the Kingdom of Daomé, for instance, is far from what BC described himself - and actually far from what history books tell us. In fact, you could build endless stories inside this movie. That's what makes it so good: all the things missing. It could have been a better achievement, but for all it's worth, it's really not the kind of movie you're likely to forget after a few weeks!

'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.

Director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinsky did many films together. They were all spectacular because of Herzogs direction and they all had an intensely insane looking leading man because of Kinskys solid performances. Cobra Verde was their last collaboration together because three years after making this film Kinsky died. He left a great legacy as an actor and Cobra Verde is a prime example of that.

The story is about Francisco Manuel (aka the Bandit of Cobra Verde) a bandit who goes from town to town looking for a strange new world. Basically everyone fears him because he is untamable, like a wild beast. One day, he gets a job taking care of slaves in a Sugar Cane field and he gets to live in the same house as his boss, the owner of the fields. Cobra Verde being the bandit that he is has his way with not one, but all three of the bosses daughters and gets them pregnant. The boss, looking for a way to get back at Cobra Verde for what he did, sends him on a mission to Africa to buy more slaves. Of course the bosses real intentions are to get Cobra Verde killed in the journey. What they don't know is that Cobra Verde is not a person who easily gives up and hes a tough cookie to kill. And so begins Cobra Verdes journey into the hot, deadly and colorful depths of Africa.

This movie, like many of Herzogs films is a journey into the unknown. I love how Herzog does that in all his films. Transporting us to strange places that truly exist, but are so wondrous and amazing that they have a surreal dreamlike feel to them. On Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre we went deep into the Amazonian Jungle, but on Cobra Verde we get to see the heart and soul of Africa. Once the movie gets to Africa (on its second half) things get really interesting and you will find yourselves completely immersed in the African culture. From the injustices of slavery to the savagery of African tribes. It was all new, strange and different to me because Herzog really went in there and found incredible real life locations in which to shoot Cobra Verde. Its as if Herzog searches out these incredible places, dives deep into them, and then brings them back to us via his films for us to enjoy.

This movie is epic in scale and it shows in every single frame of film. We get hundreds of extras in many scenes. One particular scene stood out and its the one in which Kinsky trains hundreds of African women all dressed in their war attire and marching while singing their war songs. It was fantastic and epic and I loved every second of it. Not only that but its even more amazing when I learned that this huge looking film only cost two million dollars to make! I was unaware that a film of such grand scale could be made with so little money. Hollywood could learn a thing or two from Herzogs style of film-making.

Klaus Kinsky once again turns in an intense performance as the titular character. He certainly goes in a journey from being a bandit to becoming the king of an African tribe. I really got to like his character because he is a guy who literally does what he wants and has complete freedom over what to do with his life. Nobody tells this guy what to do, but once he sets his sites on achieving a goal (and its usually something pretty daunting) he goes all the way to make it happen.

Even when he accepts the responsibilities and challenges involved in going to Africa and taking slaves back to Brazil considering that slavery is almost completely abolished, he does it with a sure hand, ready to face whatever situations life might hurl at him. And Kinsky does all this with his own brand style, that crazy look the wild hair. In one particular scene in which he is training thousands of African women to go to war he goes completely ballistic trying to teach them how to properly handle a shield and a spear.

I've got a few complaints though, this movie has a few loopholes and unrealistic situations. I think a lot of it has to do with Herzog trying to evoke a feeling of otherworldliness and strangeness but in one particular scene Cobra Verde has to send a message from on place to another and he does it via thousands of people standing in line doing these secret signals with white flags and one person duplicates the message until it reaches the other person hundreds of miles away. This scene might lend itself for a beautiful and strange image, but its completely unrealistic! But I was willing to let it go for sake of artistic liberty. Another thing that grated me the wrong way was how one of the African kings spoke perfect English, as well as all his followers. The scene would have been a lot more believable with the king having a translator, but as it was filmed, its hard to believe that a king in the middle of Africa would speak English, and much less have all his thousands of followers understand him and cheer him. Again, a minor set back in a great film.

Like many of Herzogs films, the pace is sometimes slow, but when Herzog wants to amaze you he will. There will be moments of heavy dialog, and slow situations and then Whamo! Herzog will hit you in the head with something truly amazing. Trust me on this, this movie has many surprises up its sleeves! And you wont be disappointed if you enjoy movies that take you to strange new worlds.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I have to admit the plot of "Cobra Verde" was less impressive and coherent than I anticipated (or hoped…) to be, but it doesn't matter all that much, because this is purely Klaus Kinski's movie. Even though the status and reputation of this movie is too often overshadowed by reports of conflicts & hostility between the director and the lead star, Werner Herzog still undeniably brings some sort of homage to Kinski here. During a lot of scenes, the camera just purposelessly follows him around and there's an incredibly large amount of shots that simply show his facial expressions, and more particularly his insanity-filled eyes, in extreme close-ups. Much more than any film of his that I've seen so far, "Cobra Verde" represents Kinski's most obsessive performance. The lovely title refers to the nickname of Francisco Manuel Da Silva, obviously played by Kinski. At the beginning of the film Da Silva is an ordinary early 19th Century Brazilian farmer mourning over the loss of a beloved one, but in no time he promotes himself into a relentless bandit. His charisma and fearful influence on the locals have him spotted by a sugar-plantation tycoon, who engages Cobra Verde to guard his slaves. But when he impregnates not just one but all three daughters of his employer, Cobra Verde is exiled to Africa to recruit a new slaves and deport them to Brazil. This is meant to be a certain death mission, as the destination – the kingdom of Dahomey – is at war with its neighbors, forbidding slave trade and its king is possibly the one person on earth madder than Da Silva himself. King Adahee (who, for example, wants all dogs killed because they conspire against humans at night) commands to execute Cobra Verde but he escapes, joins the rebellion and trains the fighting skills of an army of over a 1.000 topless women! The screenplay, adapted from a novel by the acclaimed writer Bruce Chatwin, is slightly disappointing because the study on colonialism is rather clichéd, one-dimensional and shallow. The slaves wear chains around their necks, yet the walk around singing and smiling to the crazed white man. The multiple sequences involving mass activity, for example Kinski training the warrior women and a cross-country human telegraph line, as well as the portrayal of typically African rites (dancing and a lot singing) are visually staggering but admittedly they add very little substance. "Cobra Verde" is, as extendedly stated above, a purely brilliant one-man Kinski show. From the scenes where he dominantly arrives in Africa, wearing a grotesque Napoleonesque hat, to the unsettling climax in which he vainly attempts to escapes from the continent as well as from his own personal demons, Kinski is one indescribably fascinating & compelling individual.

While I can respect all the work that Werner Herzog and his crew went through to make "Cobra Verde", to me the film is flawed because the main character (played by Klaus Kinski) is too one-dimensional. Once the movie is finished, you really know almost nothing about the guy--he is that big a cypher.

The film begins in South America. Francisco Manoel da Silva (Kinski) is a bandit so feared that when he enters towns, just about everyone runs in terror. Despite this, he manages to obtain a job with a Brazilian slave plantation owner. But, Francisco impregnates ALL of the boss' daughters and as punishment is sent to Africa to buy slaves--because the boss figures that the king in Dahomey (today known as Benin) will kill Francisco like he'd done to all the other recent white traders. However, instead, the king welcomes him and Francisco is allowed to renew the slave trade. But, when there is a revolt, Francisco leads an odd army of bare-chested women and he conquers the kingdom. Now he imagines incredible wealth and things look wonderful for the newly christened 'Cobra Verde'. Unfortunately, this was not to be. See the film and see what I mean.

This film looks great. As usual, Werner Herzog is willing to go to the most far off places in order to get the look just right. Like several of the previous Herzog-Kinski projects, this one must have been hellishly difficult to make. Unfortunately, like so many other Herzog films, the leading man seems VERY one-dimensional and difficult to accept or relate to because of this lack of depth. Francisco was a bad guy but his motivations, likes, dislikes, and even personality are all lacking. Because of this, although the film is interesting and lovely locales are used, I am only mildly encouraging you to watch it. This film is clearly NOT a film that the average person would enjoy, though I did like the ending in the surf--a fascinating scene and nice ending.

From famous German director Werner Herzog - a man who's cinematic penchants usually include documentary-style visuals (stark but not shaky!), stories centering on man's loss of sanity, destructive ambition (or lack thereof) and outsiders, and larger than life characters - comes his last "big" film. To put it more aptly, his last film with famously bonkers actor Klaus Kinski. Both men had a famously sadomasochistic relationship and in this last effort, Kinski was reputedly totally out of control.

"Cobra Verde" marks the breaking point between these two great man. the point where Herzog and Kinski moved too far apart to ever consider working together again, the director evolving into too much of a control adept, and the leading man moving way beyond the safe boundaries of sanity. Yet the film is an extreme as a result and will divide audiences. But in truth how can this be a negative aspect: a film you either love or hate is at least interesting in most cases.

The story of bandit Cobra Verde, sent to Africa - by his former employer as a punishment for impregnating most of his daughters - to reestablish slave trade and battle an opposing bloodthirsty African tribal king, is in itself interesting and unusual enough to arouse interest, but barely suffices to convey the numerous delicacies within the film. Kinski's possessed turn may not be an adequate incarnation of the character, yet it is a powerhouse performance if only for the sheer energy deployed. And for once, Kinski is not the only raving lunatic and Herzog peppers the screenplay with often creepy and dark but hysterical lines and memorable situations and characters.

What may disturb many beyond the chaos on show is the casual cruelty on display at times. It is adequate for once. The black man is treated with as much political correctness as must have been the case in real life at the time (perhaps even somewhat less). On the other front, watching this you actually feel the suffocating heat that slowly burns away the dignity of these characters and makes them animals, sometimes far less than that. The film's mood is perfectly rendered and Herzog's visuals are surprisingly artistic and classy at times, for a film-maker preferring a more "cinéma-vérité" approach.

In the end, "Cobra Verde" is a cinematic oddity because of its taste for extremes (though they never hurt the film's own coherence and internal logic) in every sense. Nonetheless, neither Kinski nor Herzog ever displayed such artistic courage (or sheer lunacy) at any other point of their respective careers, and that's saying something!

Cobra Verde is best known as the final collaboration between director Werner Herzog and star actor Klaus Kinski. These two mavericks had come together explosively several times before and, in the process, created some fascinating works of cinema. It was here, however, that the Herzog/Kinski partnership finally and irreparably hit the skids, with Kinski behaving on-set in a manner too negative, even by his alarming standards. This last film is generally considered to be the weakest of the five collaborations and, in fairness, this is not an unreasonable verdict as the plot dynamics and central character are less interesting than in previous films. Having said that, it's still hardly a poor film in a general sense and still has quite a few things about it to recommend.

Its story focuses on the 19th century African slave trade. After impregnating all of his plantation boss's daughters, a bandit is sent from Brazil to West Africa to buy slaves in an enterprise his boss fully expects will result in his death. It doesn't quite work out that way and he becomes very involved with an African tribal war instead.

Much here is similar to the other Herzog/Kinski films that preceded it. It is set in a historical period, it has a central character who is an outsider with a hint of madness and it features documentary realism in its use of indigenous non-actors in support roles. The location photography is one of the definite strong points and Kinski is always interesting to watch, although in this role he is perhaps more difficult to like than usual; after all he is a slave trader, which is hardly the most sympathetic job title. He and his fellow white men display casual racism throughout, although the film doesn't really much delve into the rights and wrongs of slavery very much and is more a character study of a man in the middle of this scenario. I think the main problem is that the story doesn't really give us much to work with or care too much about. The film, as a result works more in places, with some individual scenes sticking in the mind; most notably for me was the appearance of the 'nuns' – a sequence where several African girls chant and dance in a very captivating manner. There are other interesting moments sprinkled throughout but Cobra Verde somehow doesn't work as well as a whole piece and remains interesting but flawed.

Klaus Kinski gives a portentous interpretation in the title role as the 19th Century hapless crook who snaps when he learns a treason . During the 1800s , paroled Brazilian con known as Cobra Verde finds a job as an slave overseer on a sugar plantation . When he impregnates all three of the owner's daughters , the owner wishes him gone and he is sent to West Africa with a few troops to an old Portuguese fort and carry out an impossible mission : to re-open the slave trade with the mad African king of Dahomey . That's why Cobra Verde has to convince the local African ruler to resume the slave trade with Brazil. The only white man in the area , being subsequently betrayed and tormented by the king , he finds himself the victim of torture as well as humiliation and increasingly pushed to the edge . As he finds alone and powerless against a ruthless African society. Cobra Verde is on the edge of madness and he then trains an army of women to overthrow the king , as he can control the slave trade himself by creating a rebel army.

Even by Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski standards , their last collaboration was a wild trip . Werner Herzog's relationship with Klaus Kinski reached a thunderous walk something of a pitch in this one , their last collaboration. Being fifth and final of the Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski collaborations, the other four essentially combative relationships are the following ones : Aguirre, Warth of God (1972) , Nosferatu, the vampire (1979) Woyzeck (1979) and Fitzcarraldo (1982) , while the interesting documentary My Best Fiend (1999) depicts the tumultuous relations between them . Kinski gives a peculiar and intense acting in his usual style as the freed outlaw Cobra Verde hired by a plantation owner to supervise his slaves . Thrilling and sad portrayal of a man plunging into insanity when he is being cheated by twisted forces he can not control , being caught into a hateful mission of slavery until a surprising finale . Werner Herzog's film is based upon a prestigious novel titled The ¨Viceroy of Ouidah¨, dealing with a very strange , mysterious and bizarre character , as well as regarding so much with the negative aspects of Africa . Not the same dizzy folly as "Aguirre" , but Herzog´s similarly long perspective conjures as a brooding and thought-provoking film of man's aimless tracks throughout a cruel society and harsh vision of the human being , suffering beyond despair , eventually cracking when he discovers his real defeat. Along with Kinski showing up other secondaries as Peter Berling, Herzog's friend who worked in his films and the Italians Benito Stefanelli and Salvatore Basile who produced as well . It contains evocative cinematography , shot on location in Dahomey, Benin , Ghana , Colombia and including something really positive: atractive dances at the end with young girls dancing and singing. Adding a mysterious and esoteric music score by Popol Vuh , Herzog's regular.

The motion picture was competently directed by Werner Herzog, though some may find hard to take . This great German director Herzog has made several thoughtful , provoking and enjoyable films , such as : "Fata Morgana" , "Aguirre Wrath of God" , "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser", "Heart of Glass" , "Stroszek", "Woyzeck" , "Nosferatu the Vampire", "Where the Green Ants Dream" , "Cobra Verde" ,"Lessons in Darkness", "My Dearest Enemy", "Invincible" , "The White Diamond", "Grizzly Man", "Rescue Dawn" , among others. Rating : 6.5/10, above average and being an irresistible movie thanks to Kinski's extraordinary performance . The flick will appeal to Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski followers.

Sarcastic humor for fans of the darkside: Surprise surprise. Herzog makes a film about a man consumed by his dreams and destroyed by the conspiracies of world he lives in. And in a complete reversal from his usual light hearted comedy roles, Klaus Kinski protrays a madman getting madder.

If you liked Agirre or Fitzcaraldo, and would have liked a larger cast including Amazon warrior girls from Africa and National Geo graphic dancing then by all means see this. Warning: no light hearted romance, cute chimps or talking to the animals here. Surreal, dark, morality story with great acting and the best one liner in Herzog's repertoire while watching amazonian spear dancing (are you listening Joe Bob Briggs?)

Who are these women? They are our future murderesses.

This film is not nearly as engaging as previous Kinski-Herzog films AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD and FITZCARALDO. Once again Herzog has found stunning locations at the very ends of the earth but his story does not complement the use of these places. Kinski is amazing as he always is when working with Herzog. He plays a complex, nuanced character(some would say mad) but the script lets him down. The story is a very brutal exposition of the 19th century slave trade. White men are seen working hand in hand with African kings. The Kings want weapons and power, the whites want slaves to work their vast plantations. Cobra Verde(Kinski) is essentially really only a pawn in this horrible game, only he does not fully realize it until it is too late. Unfortunately the film's greatest weakness is its visual narrative. There are too many moments when a situation is set up and we are left to figure it out on our own. I was also perplexed by Cobra Verde's motivation. Why does he accept to go to Africa. Does he really see himself as invincible? He is fearless, but surely he did not survive so long as a bandit by being stupid? So why does he make the journey in the first place?

This being said, the film also has some stunning moments. Witness the army of amazons being whipped into a frenzy by the blood-thirsty Cobra Verde. There must be 400 actors in this scene alone. Kinski revels in the chaos and confusion and this adds greatly to the impact of the scene. The final scene is also quite haunting. It is really too bad that there are not enough moments like these. Overall worth seeing if you like Kinski and Herzog but definitely not their best effort.

Klaus Kinski in all his craziness cannot save this visually stunning, but ultimately boring movie from Werner Herzog. I have seen travel films with more substance, and there is very little meaningful dialog. This plays like a film on African customs, with Kinski just happening to be in almost every scene. The story lacks cohesion, many scenes go on for way too long, and there is zero character development other than Klaus Kinski. Though it portends to be an epic like "Aguirre" or "Fitzcarraldo", it is not even close to the entertainment value of those films. "Cobra Verde" is little more than a string of exotic visuals. - MERK

This movie is very absorbing: the cinematography is excellent, and the movie is full of eye-popping scenery and images, as well as intense exchanges of dialogue. One just doesn't find this combination at the movies very often.

Parts of the movie have such vivid but exotic imagery, that it seems surreal (the segment where the Amazon warriors are gathering for battle is a case in point!). Other parts seem almost operatic - especially the exchanges between Francisco Manoel da Silva (Klaus Kinski) and the mad African king, who has taken da Silva prisoner and plans to kill him.

Klaus Kinski is totally compelling in the lead role as Cobra Verde, a swashbuckling bandit-rogue who, partly through fate, partly through crooked machinations of those around him, gets sent off to a Brazilian slave fortress on the coast of West Africa to scout for slaves to bring back to Brazil. I had forgotten how old a man Mr. Kinski was, and was curious to find out his age when he made this film. I checked his stats, and to my astonishment I discovered that he was 62 years old when he made this film. His performance is truly amazing. Would that I have that much fire and energy when I am 62!

I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who is sick and tired of the usual pap that too often fills the screens these days. Though this film was made in 1988, nothing in it seems dated. Just based on its subject matter, it already has a built-in "timeless" quality to it. I think it will hold up well over the years. Go rent it!

By the way, for those of you who like these sorts of films, then another movie that I would recommend as a companion piece to this film is James Ivory's "Heat and Dust" (1982). Though much more "tranquil" and sans the fiery acting of a Klaus Kinski in the lead role, that film, set in India, too had excellent cinematography and a compelling, historically-based story with memorable images and characters.

It's far from one of Werner Herzog's best movies, but given it's Herzog, it's still interesting. Even when he's not firing on all cylinders, there's still a good deal to find engaging.

Here, there's some great visuals, interesting ideas/themes (mainly in the final third, where the point of the movie becomes clearer), and some really good camerawork (also again, mostly in the final third).

I think, from what I could interpret, this was something of a critique of reversal of the dated and flawed "white saviour trope," as in this film - in the second half mainly - a white man interacts with a West African tribe and makes their lives more violent and endangered for his own selfish motives.

Klaus Kinski frequently worked with Herzog and is pretty good here, but his character doesn't change or progress as much as he usually does in Herzog's films, making him a bit less interesting. It also giving Kinski a bit less to do than normal.

Also pacing-wise, it's a bit of a mess. It's sort of like three short movies in one, and while on paper there's some reasons for transitioning between them, it doesn't feel seamless while watching.

I must say since I've started taking interest in Herzog-Kinski co-operations, this is not the best one, given how remarkable Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo are. Yet Cobra Verde is a really good film, worth watching for the performance of Kinski who acts once again in a completely paranoid and crazy fashion. There is also a form of immediacy in the way the film is shot, a bit like in Aguirre. Plus, certain images will haunt you for a while: the silhouette of Kinski in the sea at the end, or the women warriors. So, just see it!

"Cobra Verde" is probably the less brilliant movie that Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski made together. It's the story of a Portuguese bandit that eventually becomes the Viceroy of some African region (when Portugal had some colonies over there).

This time the making of the film wasn't as chaotic as it was in "Aguirre" or "Fitzcarraldo", what let Herzog recreate himself filming the deserted landscapes and the native women, and that's precisely what spoils the movie's rhythm. It looks like Herzog fell in love so much with those African natives that he couldn't help to fill dozens of sequences with their rites and their dance (and that stuff does not contribute in anything to the story).

Anyway, "Cobra Verde" is just a MUST SEE for those who really like the madman Kinski (just like I do) , because he released his temper and his anger one more time in this performing. You can never know when Kinski is gonna explode.

*My rate: 6/10

Herzog's films are not for everyone, but everyone should be in awe of what went into these films. Gone are the days when a director could come into a project with a few hundred grand, shoot on location with a cast of thousands, and achieve something that is so authentic, yet still maintaining such beautiful film quality. This is no Blair Witch Project. The cameras don't wobble to the point of nausea.

Cobra Verde is not a politically correct film, the dialogue and plot, as usual, are bit quirky. It's a German film, and I've come to expect a bit of quirkiness from German films. This doesn't stop me from appreciating Klaus Kinsky's performance and the authentic performances of the supporting cast. Klaus for me is the William Shatner of German Cinematography. Take that whatever way you will... he's the man.

What I get most from these films is a sense of the grandeur and presence of nature. No one has ever captured the haunting feel of such locations. I keep shaking my head in awe. Where does he find these places? If I were a tourist I wish I had this knack for finding places that so well exemplify the wonders of mother earth. Real or historically accurate? Who cares!!! These are beautiful films.

Lesser Herzog / Kinski collaboration about a bandit turned slave trader (Klaus Kinski) in Africa suffers from a muddled script. Kinski's performance is good, but far below his work in Fitzcarraldo or Aguirre. Still, the obvious talent of these two men makes the movie watchable, with some excellent sequences. Definitely worth a watch for Herzog fans, although it can't compare with much of his earlier work.

Francisco Manoel da Silva (Klaus Kinski) is a debauched Brazilian rancher who reluctantly goes to work at a gold mining company after his ranch is ruined by drought. When he discovers that he is being financially exploited, he murders his boss and goes on the lam to pursue a career as an outlaw. He becomes the notorious Cobra Verde (Green Snake), the most vicious bandit of the "sertao".

• The 5th (and the last) of the five collaborations between Herzog and Kinski - which by all means are on the same level as Kurosawa - Mifune, Marty - De Niro, Hitchcock - Stewart, Fincher- Pitt to mention a few - is one of the finest and at the same time most underrated movie I've seen from the 80's.

• "Master" HERZOG does his thing as we're used to his "freestyle story development" and style, while Klaus Kinski as Cobra Verde (Manoel da Silva) delivers a superb performance. To put it in a more conventional way, in this movie you'll meet the peak of KINSKI's acting.

• Cobra Verde is a controversial movie about slavery, perjury, madness, immorale etc. This one belongs more on the group of Herzog's "FITZCARALDO", "AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GODS", "STORSZEK" than let's say "NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE" OR "VOYZECK" just to mention some. It's composed by a rich group of element starting from cinematography (The original cinematographer THOMAS MAUCH, had to walk out of the project due to KINSKI clashes) great acting by Kinski, great direction, the screenplay is on a level, but frankly it doesn't matter on a Herzog movie. It is really a misfortune that this movie went on unnoticed by the awards and it didn't end up where it belonged.

• It wasn't liked by the critics when it was released, probably due to its controversial subject (REMEMBER A 1969 MOVIE CALLED "BURN! A.k.a. QUEIMADA starring the GREAT Marlon Brando).

• I HOPE that MORE PEOPLE WILL WATCH THIS movie, AND NOT ONLY HERZOG OR KINSKI FANS.

My vote for COBRA VERDE was 7 out 10 because is HERZOG...That's all. It is really hard to see blonde deep blue eyes KINSKY playing a Brazilian bandit from the northeast region,Bahia or Pernanbuco,sometimes during the film it is not clear from which Brazilian state COBRA VERDE comes from.It burdens me a lot to see the bandit "jumping" from somewhere in the countryside of the Brazilian wastelands to a typical Andine village barefoot to find a strange bar-owner who speaks perfect German and then... come back again to Brazil to find Brazilian/Portuguese rich farm-owner who speaks...perfect German.There are two aspects in the film that amazed me ,the wonderful African landscapes astonishing well filmed and the historical background.There is no doubt,the last few minutes are,in my opinion,the best ever filmed.

In conclusion,COBRA VERDE is the worst HERZOG i have seen until now, but...still is HERZOG.

There are more dazzlingly brilliant images in ten minutes of this minor epic than you'll probably find in two dozen of the current brainless hits at the top of the charts: if you want easy laughs and dopey characters, this is not your film.

On the surface, Cobra Verde concerns a one-off slightly mad killer who becomes master of an African slave trade; what makes it fascinating is a series of very strange set-pieces: hundreds of half-naked female warriors with spears and red knit caps training on the beach; a daft prince staring into space while his brother in lavish gold garb drinks of out his enemy's half-skull, miles of white flag-wielding messengers stretched into green jungle reaches--its wild! This film is really not much about plot or depth of character but a mad visual adventure and on that level it succeeds in a way that is typical of Werner Herzog's mad follies--it's a macabre feast!

(1987) Cobra Verde (In German with English subtitles) FICTIONAL HISTORICAL DRAMA

Adapted from a novel by Bruce Chatwin co-written and directed by Werner Herzog that has Klaus Kinski playing the title character, Cobra Verde as an infamous bandit. That opens with him transitioning from working in mud with other impoverished workers until he felt he was unfairly paid by the money manager. He beats him and then moves on, stumbling onto another town where much of the villagers feared him and he decides to enter into an empty tavern. There he begins to bond with the owner who is a dwarf, Euclides Alves da Silva (Guillermo Coronel) who limps. And he motivates him to go his merry way he ends up stopping by a plantation owner, Don Octavio Coutinho (José Lewgoy). And it was during then he uses the name, Francisco Manoel in which during his time there, impregnated some of Don's daughters, angering him. And when he tells him his actual name is Cobra Verde, both the owner, Don and authorities begin to weary and decide to send him to do another assignment, which is to bring slaves.

This is being said with a very heavy heart, due to admiring Herzog hugely as a film-maker and to me Kinski gave some of his best work in his work with Herzog. Their previous collaborations ranged from very good to masterpiece status.

'Fitzcarraldo' particularly is what cinema is all about, and 'Aguirre Wrath of God' is a ground-breaking achievement. 'Nosferatu', a visually stunning and quite riveting homage to the 1922 FW Murnau masterpiece, and 'Woyzeck', very powerful stuff, are not quite as good but still great. 'Cobra Verde' is certainly not an awful film and is watchable, but Herzog and Kinski's last collaboration is also their weakest to me and it's lesser Herzog overall too.

'Cobra Verde' is certainly not without redeeming qualities. The best thing about it is that it's visually stunning, there is a sweeping majesty but also a stark but rich atmosphere making for some truly arresting images. The music score is suitably haunting and rousing.

Kinski gives his usual intense and effortlessly charismatic performance, and there are some wonderfully sensual and surreal parts. Herzog has delivered more on the substance in other films of his but there is a little evidence of that here, and there is no denying that he delivers on the style.

Sadly, the story is the least cohesive and involving of Herzog and Kinski's films together. 'Cobra Verde' is marred by a sluggish pace, that is not helped by having scenes that go on for too long, and by having storytelling that is chaotic and sometimes incomplete-feeling which doesn't make the film so easy to follow. It's not hugely lengthy (being under two hours), but this is the only film of Herzog and Kinski that feels too long and like the story was nowhere near enough in content to justify the length.

Very little is done to make the characters interesting. The titular character is done in a way that's trademark Herzog (eccentric character in difficult environment) but too much of a pale shadow of far better developed variations of the same type of character in 'Aguirre' and 'Fitzcarraldo'. Some of 'Cobra Verde' also feels excessively overdone thematically and uninspired, good ideas for content but with not enough done with it.

Dialogue here is the least thought-provoking and natural-sounding of their collaborations together, often sounding on the awkward side. None of the rest of the performances stand out in any way, practically lost amongst the wonderful images but messy storytelling.

In conclusion, Herzog and Kinski's final, and weakest, collaboration together. 5/10 Bethany Cox