Cobra Verde

This article is about the film. For the band, see Cobra Verde (band).

Cobra Verde
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Werner Herzog
Produced by	Lucki Stipetic
Written by	Werner Herzog Bruce Chatwin (novel)
Starring	Klaus Kinski José Lewgoy
Music by	Popol Vuh
Cinematography	Viktor Ruzicka
Editing by	Maximiliane Mainka
Distributed by	518 Media (USA)
Release date(s)	December 3, 1987
Running time	111 minutes
Country	West Germany
Language	English

Cobra Verde (also known as Slave Coast) is a 1987 German drama film based upon Bruce Chatwin's 1980 novel, The Viceroy of Ouidah. The film depicts the life of a fictional slave trader named Francisco Manoel da Silva (known as 'Cobra Verde') who is played by the prolific German actor Klaus Kinski. Directed by Werner Herzog, Cobra Verde was an ambitious project, with filming locations in Brazil, Colombia and Ghana.

While Cobra Verde was probably the least well-received of the five collaborations between Herzog and Kinski,^[1] it was still something of a critical success, with many reviewers hailing it as a masterful adaptation of Chatwin's novel, and despite its flaws, something of an artistic triumph.^[2]

Most profoundly, Klaus Kinski died four years after the release of Cobra Verde, and the film would stand as the last of his acclaimed collaborations with director Werner Herzog.

Plot

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.

In his travels, da Silva encounters and subdues an escaped slave, an act that impresses wealthy sugar baron Don Octavio Coutinho (José Lewgoy). Don Coutinho, unaware that he is dealing with the legendary bandit, hires da Silva to oversee the slaves on his sugar plantation. When da Silva subsequently impregnates all three of the Don's daughters, the sugar baron is furious, but the situation becomes even more complicated when he discovers that da Silva is none other than the infamous Cobra Verde.

As punishment, rather than kill him or have him prosecuted, Don Coutinho decides to send da Silva on the impossible mission of re-opening the slave trade with Western Africa. The bandit is aware he is likely to be killed in Africa, but accepts anyway. He travels by sea to Dahomey, West Africa, where he must negotiate with the fearsome King Bossa Ahadee of Dahomey (played by His Royal Highness Nana Agyefi Kwame II of Nsein).

Amazingly, da Silva succeeds in convincing the King to exchange slaves for new rifles. He takes over Elmina Castle and takes Taparica, sole survivor of the previous expedition, for a partner. They begin operating the slave trade across the Atlantic to Brazil. Soon, however, the fickle king has them captured and brought before him. The King accuses da Silva of various crimes that he has no knowledge of, including poisoning the King's greyhound, and sentences him to death. He and Taparica are rescued the night prior to da Silva's decapitation by the King's nephew, who negotiates a blood alliance with da Silva, planning to overthrow the King. The ambitious bandit trains an enormous army of native women, and leads them on a raid to successfully overthrow King Bossa.

Against all expectations, the slave trade is successfully maintained under the new King, thanks to da Silva's resourcefulness. However, da Silva eventually falls out of favor with the new King, and discovers that in the meantime the Portuguese have outlawed slavery and seized his assets, and the English have placed a price on his head. Despite the adversity, da Silva is glad that finally a change has come. The exhausted bandit tries desperately to take a boat to water, but despite his best efforts, he is unable to accomplish the task. He collapses next to the ship as the tide slowly laps in. The film ends with the hauntingly symbolic image of an African man stricken with polio walking along the shore, and a group of young native women laughingly chant over the credits.

Production Notes

The film was shot in Africa, Brazil and Colombia. Herzog showed Kinski photographs of the places where he would like to work. Kinski was interested in some landscapes in Colombia, but Herzog did not agree. However, Kinski made the trip with a group of friends to some remote places that fascinated him: the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Cape of The Sailing, on the peninsula of La Guajira, Colombia. Herzog finally decided on Villa de Leyva and Valle del Cauca, in the South American country. Kinski said then: "Herzog does not know that I give life to the dead scenery. "

The film was based upon Bruce Chatwin's 1980 novel, The Viceroy of Ouidah, which was itself based on the Brazilian slave trader Francisco Felix de Sousa and his role in helping King Ghezo overthrow his brother Adandozan as King of Dahomey with the help of Ghezo's Dahomey Amazons.

Tension between Herzog and Kinski

Cobra Verde was the last film that Werner Herzog would make with Klaus Kinski. Their now-legendary personality conflict peaked during the film. The film's production was especially affected by Kinski's fiery outbursts. The cast and crew were continually plagued by Kinski's wrath, most famously culminating in the film's original cinematographer Thomas Mauch walking out on the project after a perpetual torrent of verbal abuse from Kinski. Herzog was forced to replace Mauch with Viktor Růžička.^[3]

Herzog's opinions of Kinski are deeply explored in his 1999 documentary retrospective, My Best Fiend, where he examines their unique friendship, the associated hatred, and the legacy that both qualities were responsible for.

References

1. ^ Cobra Verde Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London
2. ^ Film Freak Central - Herzog on DVD: The '80s
3. ^ DVD Verdict Review - Cobra Verde

External links

• Cobra Verde at the Internet Movie Database
• Cobra Verde at AllRovi
• Cobra Verde at Rotten Tomatoes