The feared bandit Cobra Verde is hired by a plantation owner to supervise his slaves. After the owner suspects Cobra Verde of consorting with his daughters, the owner sends Cobra Verde to Africa. There, he finds himself the victim of torture and humiliation while training soldiers in a rebel army.

Marking the fifth and final collaboration between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, this is a historical epic filtered through the German director’s inimitable gaze. Cobra Verde bursts with remarkable sights and sounds, resulting in a portrait of savage human nature that lingers long after the end.