Product Description IN THEIR FINAL COLLABORATION, WERNER HERZOG DIRECTS KLAUS KINSKI IN THE REMARKABLE TALE OF FRANCISCO MANOEL DA SILVA, THE FLAMBOYANT 19TH CENTURY BRAZILIAN BANDIT KNOW AS COBRA VERDE. WHEN THE OWNER OF A SUGAR PLANTATION UNKNOWINGLY HIRES THE BAREFOOT, GUN-TOTING THIEF TO KEEP HIS SLAVES IN CHECK. .com In their last film together, director Werner Herzog drew from actor Klaus Kinski a performance that grounds Kinski's volcanic passions with a new gravity--perhaps age was bringing Kinski down to earth. He plays Cobra Verde, a notorious Brazilian bandit, whom a plantation owner hires to keep his slaves in line. After Cobra Verde impregnates all his daughters, the owner and the authorities conspire to send the bandit to Africa to reopen the slave trade. They expect him to be killed, but through a mixture of his own cunning and the volatile politics of West Africa, Cobra Verde ends up leading an army of women to overthrow the king. Cobra Verde is disjointed, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. Kinski is magnetic in scene after remarkable scene, and though the whole isn't satisfying, the parts certainly are. --Bret Fetzer
A**A
Remarkable film. Horrid dubbing.
A fine example of the Herzog / Kinsky collaborations. The film is beautiful, allegorical and weird. The new transfer looks good but the new dubbing is appalling and completely out of sync. Amazon Prime should be more careful and respectful of important works.
D**N
Suicide Mission
Francois Truffaut once called Werner Herzog the world's greatest living film director. He's certainly my favorite, for several reasons, many of which I have trouble articulating in words. I've seen 20 of his films and read all of his published writings.I first saw Cobra Verde on a bad VHS copy years ago. At the time I didn't know this movie existed, so when I happened to stumble across it and realized there was one final Herzog/Kinski collaboration, I couldn't wait to see it. This film was the least known and seen of their work together, and went for years without a proper video release until Anchor Bay did it justice on DVD with audio commentary and remastered image and sound.As with most Herzog films, the story behind it's making is as interesting as the film itself, and can be found in the exceptional documentary My Best Fiend.Whenever I think of Cobra Verde, two images first come to mind: 1- the opening 360 degree pan across a barren, cracked desert strewn with dead animals and skulls ending with Kinski glaring madly up into the camera, his life in ruins due to drought. And 2- Kinski stepping off the small rowboat into the African surf for the first time, wearing a black coat and hat, his white hair blowing in the wind, looking like some lunatic version of Napoleon as he sees the fortress that he'll be living in.I won't recount the entire plot here, as many other reviewers have already done a great job of that. Let me just say that the Herzog essentials are here: a character existing on the extreme far edge of civilization, a view of unforgiving landscapes shot in stylized fashion, an exploration of language, customs, and rituals of obscure and faraway places and isolated peoples, and an intense central performance with a main character trying to accomplish an impossible task.Of utmost importance in the Herzog universe is the blending of fiction and reality. His documentaries are all quite stylized and directed, just as his fictional films contain a capturing of real events happening as you see them and included as part of the fictional tale. The use of non-actors, even in major roles, also contributes to this adding of an edge of truth and purity to the films. An honesty.There is no one else who makes films quite like Werner Herzog. Each of his movies are unique. None are bad. You may like some better than others, but all of them deserve to be seen. In this age of big-budgeted remakes and sequels with bad acting and CGI effects, for me all of Herzog's movies are essential viewing.
D**O
very powerful anti slavery film
It avoids the obvious. Fantastic photography. Slow but gripping. No dubbing in the German language film I watched, and I have no idea how exact the subtitles in English are. BUT -- like in some Fellini movies, the script is the least important aspect of the film.
T**A
Gimme a break!
A lot of the raving about this film is actually about the Kinski - director Herzog dichotomy. Forget about them and watch the movie for what it's supposed to do - entertain you. I watched it and found it choppy and disjointed. What does this scene mean? Why is he doing this? etc. I got the general picture but googled various synopsis to better understand it. You have to assume a lot. If you like watching a picture like this then watch it by all means.
A**N
This film transports you
If you are able to appreciate the subtleties of a truly talented cast and crew, this film is for you. It's enjoyable if for no other reason than watching the truly evil Klaus Kinski suffer in a variety of ways. The film functions as an adventure movie, taking a Brazilian bandit all the way into the insanity of post European colonization Africa.
G**8
Bizarre beyond belief - Awful
Kept watching to see if it would get better. It did not. No redeeming this turkey.
M**N
Five Stars
Best movie ever!
N**Y
Not bad at all
Entertaining
J**D
Five Stars
great movie and commentry
A**R
Three Stars
ok
A**O
Alessandro Grosso
L'ultimo capolavoro di tsio Werner col grandissimo Klaus Kinski, un viso che sembrava tagliato dal vento ma sprezzante e orgoglioso della vita!
T**N
Wunderbarer Kinski
Wunderschöne Bilder. Allein die schwarzen Sängerinnen, die Skorpione und Kinskis Gesicht sind schon die halbe Miete.
W**R
Cobra Verde
schnelle Lieferung, keine Beanstandung der Qualität der DVD, danke
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