Cobra Verde (1987)

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Bruce Chatwin (novel)
Werner Herzog (writer)

Release Date:

3 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

The feared bandit Cobra Verde (Klaus Kinski) is hired by a plantation owner to supervise his slaves...

Plot Keywords:

Slave | Plantation | Africa | Bandit | King

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

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	...	Kankpe
Benito Stefanelli	...	Pedro Vicente
Kofi Bryan
Carlos Mayolo	...	Governor of Bahia
Pedro Oliveira
A. Kwesi Compson
Yolanda García	...	Dona Epiphania
Stella Torgbede
Diobeth Guerra
Santiago García
Marcela Ampudia	...	Bonita
Maria Elvira Chavez Mejia	...	Wanderleide
Luz Marina Rodriguez Molina	...	Valkyria
León Bolaño
Josué Ángel
Mario Gomez Vignes
Maurizio Rodriguez
Maria Xilena Mantilla
Awudu Adama
Josephine Hudson-Odoi
Ho Ziavi' Zigi Cultural Troupe	...	Dancing Choir
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Maire	...	Francisco Manoel da Silva (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Werner Herzog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bruce Chatwin		novel "The Viceroy of Ouidah"
Werner Herzog		writer

Produced by
Francis Annan	....	co-producer: Ghana Film Industry Corp.
Salvatore Basile	....	co-executive producer
Kofi Bryan	....	co-producer: Ghana Film Industry Corp.
Walter Saxer	....	executive producer
George Smith	....	co-producer: Ghana Film Industry Corp.
Lucki Stipetic	....	producer
Kofi Yerenkyi	....	co-producer: Ghana Film Industry Corp.

Original Music by
Popol Vuh

Cinematography by
Viktor Ruzicka

Film Editing by
Maximiliane Mainka

Production Design by
Ulrich Bergfelder

Costume Design by
Gisela Storch

Makeup Department
Berthold Sack	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Antonio Jordao Gomes da Costa	....	unit manager: Ghana
Diobeth Guerra	....	unit manager: Brazil
Pedro Jungmann	....	unit manager: Brazil
Jacqueline Lemaitre Basile	....	unit manager: Colombia
Ina Lüders	....	unit manager: Ghana
Fernando Umana	....	unit manager: Colombia (as Fernando Umaña Pavolini)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Salvatore Basile	....	assistant director
Christine Ebenberger	....	assistant director

Art Department
Fabrizio Carola	....	construction coordinator
Bernd Grotzke	....	property master

Sound Department
Milan Bor	....	sound mixer
Friedrich M. Dosch	....	sound editor
Ray Gillon	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Rudolf Hellwig	....	boom operator
Haymo Heyder	....	sound recordist: location recording (as Haymo Henry Heyder)
Hans-Walter Kramski	....	foley artist
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist (as Joern Poetzl)
Silvana Zafosnik	....	assistant sound editor
Hans Zeiler	....	sound editor

Stunts
Benito Stefanelli	....	stunt coordinator
Marco Stefanelli	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mahama Alhassan	....	assistant camera
Ben Allordeh	....	assistant camera
Carlos Congote	....	assistant camera
Hermann Fahr	....	assistant camera
Martin Gerbl	....	gaffer
Beat Presser	....	still photographer
Jorge Ruiz	....	second camera operator
William Sefa	....	second camera operator
Daniel Valencia	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Silvia Grabowski	....	assistant costume designer
Rosario Lozano	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Rainer Standke	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ralph Graf	....	music recordist

Other crew
Gloria Saxer	....	caterer
Anja Schmidt-Zäringer	....	script

Production Companies

• Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (co-production)
• Ghana Film Industry Corporation (co-production)
• De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)
• Tayrona Entertainment Group (as R.O.E)

Distributors

• 518 Media (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Hemispheric Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ipma (2005) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1988) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Cine International (1987) (worldwide) (all media)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Ripley's Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Screen Life (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bavaria Film  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Slave Coast

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

West Germany | Ghana

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Australia:PG | Spain:13 | Denmark:11 | Portugal:M/12 (video) | Sweden:15 | Italy:T | Finland:K-11 | Norway:16 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bahia, Brazil

Company:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Trivia:

The fifth and last of the Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski collaborations, the other four being: Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972), Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979), Woyzeck (1979) & Fitzcarraldo (1982).

Quotes:

Francisco Manoel da Silva: The heat here is mean and inescapable. It courses through the bodies of people like a fever... and yet, my heart grows colder and colder.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The White Diamond (2004)

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.