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For film masochists, A Star is Falling Upwards is an almost deliciously exhausting substitute for western musicals that makes a terribly transparent attempt to make Karel Gott a “regular guy”. As a naïve and good-natured boy from the countryside, the protagonist has to understand that his purpose in life is not to sing for money, but for the Czech people (who don’t have any money). What he lacks in intellect, he makes up for with monumental narcissism, which we apparently are not supposed to see as a character flaw. And we probably aren’t expected have a negative view of the fact that everything good happens to the minimally enterprising protagonist without any effort on his part (he doesn’t need vocal coaching, as he got his divine voice from the Fates, and he becomes a superstar thanks to a donated vest). Achieving success is a matter of chance, not diligent effort. Anyone can be Gott. And it’s good to be Gott! Because it basically doesn’t matter how credulous, hypocritical and dim-witted you may be or how huge your ego has become, if you’re Gott, you will be forgiven for everything. The strait-laced nationalism is legitimised through the creation of the illusion that Gott, as a modern-day Schwanda the Bagpiper, is following an ancient folk tradition. As a singer of the people (and thus of the party), he should do the same thing that was asked of all citizens – give up your ambitious goals and sit on your ass at home. The film thus indirectly expresses contempt for all artists who sold out to the West, which is hastily outlined as a land of decadent banquets at which half-nude men dance wildly with shameless women. This is only one of a few unintentionally WTF moments of an otherwise absolutely uninterestingly bad film, by means of which Rychman committed creative suicide and Gott demonstrated his willingness to engage in the lowest form of intellectual kitsch. 15% (10.03.2013)