1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Cobra Verde
1987 1h 51m DE
👍
6.9
SOLID
🍅
83%
FRESH
😬
55
METACRITIC
⭐
6.9
IMDB
★6.9TMDB · 169🍅83%Rotten Tomatoes●55Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 8,627
AdventureDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
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.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
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
Guillermo Coronel
Euclides
Nana Agyefi Kwame II
Bossa Ahadee
Nana Fedu Abodo
Yovogan
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Werner Herzog
- Writers
- Werner Herzog
- Languages
- English, Ewe, German, Portuguese
- Countries
- Germany, Ghana
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Ewe, German, Portuguese.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 2 countries: Germany, Ghana.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Viktor Růžička. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Popol Vuh. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Maximiliane Mainka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Klaus Kinski and King Ampaw and José Lewgoy carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Werner Herzog directs. Viktor Růžička behind the camera. Popol Vuh scores. Maximiliane Mainka cuts. Produced in Germany, Ghana. Dialogue in English, Ewe, German, Portuguese.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 139 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Ewe, German, Portuguese.
- 3International production across 2 countries: Germany, Ghana.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Viktor Růžička. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Popol Vuh. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Maximiliane Mainka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Klaus Kinski and King Ampaw and José Lewgoy carry the top of the cast.
- 9IMDB entry: tt0094888 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Viktor Růžička
- Original score
- Popol Vuh
- Editing
- Maximiliane Mainka
- Runtime
- 111 min · 1h 51m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- DE
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 83% 🍅 Fresh
- Metacritic
- 55/100
- IMDB rating
- 6.9/10 · 8,627 votes
- MPAA
- Not Rated
- US box office
- $12,702
Awards
2 wins
Also by
Werner Herzog
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
DE
ZDF
DE
- GH
Ghana Film Industry Corporation
Key crew
- Executive ProducerWalter Saxer
- ProducerFrancis Annan
- ProducerWalter Saxer
- ProducerSalvatore Basile
- ProducerKofi Yerenkyi
- NovelBruce Chatwin
- ProducerLucki Stipetić
- ProducerGeorge Smith
- EditorMaximiliane Mainka
- ProducerKofi Bryan
- Still PhotographerBeat Presser
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- africa
- pregnancy
- murder
- slave trade
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2026-04-18· Beijing International Film Festival
Also known as
International titles
- Κόμπρα ΒέρντεGR
- コブラ・ヴェルデ緑の蛇JP
