About

I was never so successful in filming the landscapes and capturing the spirit of the continent. There are some shots in the film […] that illustrate the pain slavery has inflicted upon an entire continent. - Werner Herzog

Cobra Verde is the story of Francisco Manoel da Silva, a 19th Century Brazilian rancher-turned-bandit who adopts the titular moniker. Offered work at a slave plantation, he is quickly exiled to West Africa after impregnating the plantation owner's daughters. Once there, he becomes wrapped up in the strange politicking and horrific trade of his new home.

The film was the final screen collaboration between Herzog and his ferocious lead actor Klaus Kinski, with the troubled shoot driving them both to breaking point. In this work for Herzog, Kinski is a raving force of nature – an unrelenting storm trapped in the body of a man.

The film itself is a tale of depraved madness and megalomania. It is full of huge spectacle, at times employing hundreds of extras for enormous set pieces. In the director's eyes, all humanity is wrapped up in the same volatile, self-destructive pursuits. And, with Cobra Verde, he depicts the conclusion in spectacular, devastating fashion.

PG | Adult themes