A fearsome 19th century bandit, Cobra Verde cuts a swath through Brazil until he arrives at the sugar plantation of Don Octávio Countinho. Not knowing that his new guest is the notorious bandit and impressed by his ruthless ways, Don Octávio hires Cobra Verde to oversee his slaves. But when Cobra Verde impregnates Don Octávio’s three daughters, the incensed plantation owner exiles the outlaw to Africa where he is expected to reopen the slave trade. Following his trans-Atlantic journey, Cobra Verde exploits tribal conflicts to commandeer an abandoned fortress and whips an army of naked warriors into a frenzied bloodlust as he vies for survival.
Directed by Werner Herzog
africa
pregnancy
murder
slave trade
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.6 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Klaus Kinski
Francisco Manoel da Silva aka Cobra Verde
King Ampaw
Taparica
José Lewgoy
Don Octavio Coutinho
Salvatore Basile
Captain Fraternidade
Peter Berling
Bernabé
Benito Stefanelli
Pedro Vicente
Carlos Mayolo
Governor of Bahia
Yolanda García
Dona Epiphania
Crew
Werner Herzog
Director
Werner Herzog
Screenplay
Salvatore Basile
Producer
Bruce Chatwin
Novel
Popular Reviews
22 reviews
Ingmar Wetzel
8.0★ · 04/18/26
Nicht so gut wie die andere Herzog-Kinski Filme. Doch die Endszene ist für mich eine der potentesten im gesamten Medium. Sie ist auch das Ende der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Herzog und Kinski, weswegen sie vielleicht gerade so einen starken Eindruck macht.
Nicht so gut wie die andere Herzog-Kinski Filme. Doch die Endszene ist für mich eine der potentesten im gesamten Medium. Sie ist auch das Ende der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Herzog und Kinski, weswegen sie vielleicht gerade so einen starken Eindruck macht.
Ruaidhri
8.0★ · 03/15/26
Those tribal hats where epic
Those tribal hats where epic
Nick
7.0★ · 01/16/26
Shocked this isn’t talked about as much as Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo, it’s by far one of the better Herzog narratives.
Shocked this isn’t talked about as much as Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo, it’s by far one of the better Herzog narratives.
Coen Simpson
7.1★ · 07/10/25
Kinski is constantly making the most goofy faces and I love him for it.
Kinski is constantly making the most goofy faces and I love him for it.
Jean
10.0★ · 04/02/25
Klaus Kinski partaking in the slave trade with his gay little crop top jacket
Klaus Kinski partaking in the slave trade with his gay little crop top jacket
