Cobra Verde (1987)

Director Werner Herzog's 5th and final teaming with actor Klaus Kinski, 'Cobra Verde' is based on English writer Bruce Chatwin's 1980 novel 'The Viceroy of Ouidah' about a fictional 19th century slave trader. Filmed in both South America and Africa the then 60 year old Kinski is far to old for the part of a debauched Brazilin rancher sent to Africa to reopen the slave trade after impregnating his employers three daughters. His bosses never really thought that Francisco Manoel da Silva aka Cobra Verde would succeeded, but he does, in part by helping the natives over throw a mad king. Francisco, looked down on all his life by his supposed superiors has a sense of empathy and respect for the native Africans, though he is far from above sending them off to be slaves, something he acknowledges late in the film is indeed a crime. Their are parts of the film, especially early on, that really seem to be setting this story up as a redemption arc, but it's never really that, it's much more complicated and less clean cut. You can respect Cobra Verde if not particularly like him, which makes the character appropriate for Kinski in all but age. A mixed bag but a generally compelling narrative and some neat visiuals, which is really what you want from Herzog. ***