Cobra VerdeWhat is it to be a legend in your own time, to forge a destiny, turned to ballad and verse, to be larger than life? And if one is a figure whose legacy carries on, what then does it mean when that legacy is founded not upon a moral foundation, but one of rage against the shackles of life, of civilization, and an inner chaos which burns like a furnace? This thought describes "Cobra Verde", the bandit name of Francisco Manoel da Silva (Klaus Kinski) in the film Cobra Verde...and yet, for his wild reputation and notoriety, perhaps the same could be said of the film's own star, in his last collaboration with his "best fiend", Werner Herzog.
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By the time the end credits roll in Cobra Verde, it is possible that one might forget the humble beginnings of Francisco, panning for gold, covered in mud, his own wages garnished by the bank, turning him into a technical slave--not so different from the same individuals he would later end up working to enslave himself. Freedom courses hot through Francisco's veins, and his abject refusal to continue in his meager efforts pushes him past the point of caring. He becomes a bandit, calling himself "Cobra Verde"--the "green snake"--and preying on carriages and emptying town squares with his mere entrance. And yet fate seems to have a particular interest in Cobra Verde, seeming at every turn to upset his status quo and push him into the unlikely occupation of a overseer on a sugar plantation, although with disdain at the owner's indifference toward the plight of his slaves. So early into the film, it can be felt that Francisco does not feel anything left in the world, at least in Brazil. His seduction of the plantation owner's daughters--and their subsequent pregnancies--is never something which has any appearance of love, but comes from an animal instinct. Francisco is a wolf in human's clothing, a canny, savage soul who has no real ties to the western hemisphere. When a punishment--and presumed death sentence--is offered to Francisco to reopen the slave trade with the king of Dahomey in Africa, he accepts the commission; but why? Francisco overheard the conspiracy to send him to his doom, and yet he takes on the job, which is more unusual since it seems that he has little to no interest in slavery. Simply put, Francisco is done with Brazil, and he has some trickle of hope that Africa might reward him with a new lease on life, so he may be free of this world and "go to the next". His world is insane, but he is still not prepared for the madness he will face on the dark continent.
Both the settings of Brazil and Ghana (as well as Colombia) have lush and vibrant scenery, overflowing with greenery and vast vistas. Watching Cobra Verde is like seeing a National Geographic magazine come to life. The natives of Ghana portray the natives of Dahomey in this period piece, blurring the lines between drama and documentary in that quintessential Herzog way. Between the haunting selections of music by the perennial favorite of Herzog, Popol Vuh, are moments of tribal dance and music, all part of the scene but really key in creating a world that is steeped in authenticity. But as gorgeous as Africa is, Francisco discovers in that "Heart of Darkness" kind of way that there is also madness in the jungle, learned from third party accounts and even from the insane king Bossa Ahadee, who--while crazy--is also a bit obsessive of his rules and quite literal in his interpretation of them. Played for a bit of a joke, when Francisco learns that the king wishes to see him--and he has been warned not to go by a Portuguese captive--he claims that the king must see him, because he must "always have one foot in the sea"; the king's response is to abduct him, and have him brought with his foot in a gourd full of seawater. When Francisco is rescued from the mad king by his apparently mad son for the purpose of raising an amazon army to storm the king's castle, he seems to really have found his footing...a last, bold cry for him to feel that he is enriched with a spirit calling him to throw himself into the madness of war. For his heroism and his expertise, he is rewarded with the title of "White Snake"; even across the sea, his destined nomenclature is inescapable. There is no doubt that although the practice of slavery in this era is on the decline, the slavers themselves are far from admirable people--from the plantation owner, to King Bossa who aids in the practice to sell his own people for guns to wage some war. It is a system which is, in effect, a business, and the structure is something which is soul-crushing to Francisco, by the immorality of the practice. By the time his great efforts are through in Africa, he has been cheated and swindled time and again, an ironic fate for a so-called bandit. The legend of "Cobra Verde" is massive in scope from start to finish, but is stained by the sense that for all of Francisco's desires, he never really finds his footing in the world. When he commits to succeeding in his chosen task, he does so, but does anything really give him pleasure? The rage within him can only carry him so far, and when it won't go further, he is left as he is in the final shot of him on the shore, desperately trying to get his boat in the water, but deprived of the strength to seek a new place, one where the madness of his world cannot follow, where his legend is a tale either forgotten or never told.
Recommended for: Fans of a legendary tale of a rogue who took part in a variety of adventures, although few if any were noble. It is sad that Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog's inability to work together any more finally put them at odds after this film, but what a way to go out; definitely worth seeing this end of an era.
Both the settings of Brazil and Ghana (as well as Colombia) have lush and vibrant scenery, overflowing with greenery and vast vistas. Watching Cobra Verde is like seeing a National Geographic magazine come to life. The natives of Ghana portray the natives of Dahomey in this period piece, blurring the lines between drama and documentary in that quintessential Herzog way. Between the haunting selections of music by the perennial favorite of Herzog, Popol Vuh, are moments of tribal dance and music, all part of the scene but really key in creating a world that is steeped in authenticity. But as gorgeous as Africa is, Francisco discovers in that "Heart of Darkness" kind of way that there is also madness in the jungle, learned from third party accounts and even from the insane king Bossa Ahadee, who--while crazy--is also a bit obsessive of his rules and quite literal in his interpretation of them. Played for a bit of a joke, when Francisco learns that the king wishes to see him--and he has been warned not to go by a Portuguese captive--he claims that the king must see him, because he must "always have one foot in the sea"; the king's response is to abduct him, and have him brought with his foot in a gourd full of seawater. When Francisco is rescued from the mad king by his apparently mad son for the purpose of raising an amazon army to storm the king's castle, he seems to really have found his footing...a last, bold cry for him to feel that he is enriched with a spirit calling him to throw himself into the madness of war. For his heroism and his expertise, he is rewarded with the title of "White Snake"; even across the sea, his destined nomenclature is inescapable. There is no doubt that although the practice of slavery in this era is on the decline, the slavers themselves are far from admirable people--from the plantation owner, to King Bossa who aids in the practice to sell his own people for guns to wage some war. It is a system which is, in effect, a business, and the structure is something which is soul-crushing to Francisco, by the immorality of the practice. By the time his great efforts are through in Africa, he has been cheated and swindled time and again, an ironic fate for a so-called bandit. The legend of "Cobra Verde" is massive in scope from start to finish, but is stained by the sense that for all of Francisco's desires, he never really finds his footing in the world. When he commits to succeeding in his chosen task, he does so, but does anything really give him pleasure? The rage within him can only carry him so far, and when it won't go further, he is left as he is in the final shot of him on the shore, desperately trying to get his boat in the water, but deprived of the strength to seek a new place, one where the madness of his world cannot follow, where his legend is a tale either forgotten or never told.
Recommended for: Fans of a legendary tale of a rogue who took part in a variety of adventures, although few if any were noble. It is sad that Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog's inability to work together any more finally put them at odds after this film, but what a way to go out; definitely worth seeing this end of an era.