The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie Review

A German-produced Western in a Hollywood style.

The Kaiser of California (aka The Emperor of California), is a Western German production which was created under the state- controlled Third Reich in 1936. The film was inspired by a true story about an early pioneer of the West: John Sutter. Produced, written, directed, and starring Luis Trenker, The Kaiser of California is an unusual Western crafted in the style of old Hollywood westerns.

As a German who immigrated to the United States in search of prosperity, Johann August Sutter (Luis Trenker) set out on his mission to create a better life for himself. The immigrant went searching for gold during the famous “Gold Rush” of the times. Eventually establishing Sacramento, Sutter was tossed in to the early development of the West in America. The Kaiser of California explores this storyline while integrating cowboys, Indians, and more.

Trenker is a bit inconsistent in the leading role. The part seemed heavily inspired by the efforts of Hollywood Western giants and yet the part seems to be an imperfect fit. Though Trenker is clearly invested in the part, the performance never managed to take flight.

A new frontier.

The Kaiser of California conveys the style of Hollywood westerns in some respects. The production design by Erich Grave (My Wife Teresa, A Night in May) and Hans Minzloff (Heart of Stone, All for the Dog's Sake) looks every-bit as convincing as a Hollywood Western as one could reasonably expect. If the production were not in the German language one could probably mistake it for being an actual Hollywood production. Even the costumes by Willy Schlick (Victor and Victoria) seem on point.

The best element of the entire production is the striking visuals by cinematographer Albert Benitz (The Rebel, Man on a String) and Heinz von Jaworsky (The Blue Light, D III 88). The style looks true to classic Westerns and there are many outdoors shots that are visually inventive. The efforts here are undeniably impressive and convey the genre well.

The music score by Giuseppe Becce (The Last Laugh, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) finds the right tone for the story. The music manages to be just as one would expect for a Western genre pic. Though not a outright classic score, it fits the bill.

Written and directed by Luis Trenker (His Best Friend, Mountain Smugglers), the biggest issue with The Kaiser of California is that the film simply doesn't have a great story. The writing is so-so and doesn't manage to make a big impression at any point. The production merits are good at trying to replicate the style of a Hollywood Western but the core of the film seems unconvincing and like a vanity project for the filmmaker. Edited by Rudolf Schaad (Miracles Still Happen, Late Love) and Willy Zeyn (The Blue Sea and You, The Tiger of Eschnapur), The Kaiser of California is full of the ambitions of Hollywood dreams but it doesn't impress as much as it aspires to.

The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Kaiser of California is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). The release comes from a 2K restoration of the feature-film which was completed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung. The scan is a decent presentation of the film and generally showcases the visuals from cinematographers Albert Benitz and Heinz von Jaworsky well.

The print does exhibit some small deficiencies in a few aspects: occasional print wear (in the form of thin scratches) being the prominent issue. Yet the scan is still enjoyable nonetheless: sharp, clear, and well-defined. The black-and-white cinematography is well reproduced and the encoding never has any trouble with preserving the filmmaking.

The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in the original German in uncompressed PCM 2.0. The 16 bit depth audio track is a proficient lossless audio track. Though there are moments of somewhat loud hiss (most noticeably during the opening act of the film), The Kaiser of California still has a reasonable presentation. Dialogue is easy to understand. The track shows age but is proficient enough.

Optional English and English SDH subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) are provided.

The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Eddy Von Mueller

The Kaiser of California Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Kaiser of California is an inconsistent effort. Though The Kaiser of California has compelling visuals that sometimes recall classic Hollywood Westerns, the filmmaking by Luis Trenker (who wrote, directed, produced, and stars) certainly underwhelms. The Blu- ray release features a reasonable 2K restoration. Rent It.