The Fourth Protocol (1987)

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writers:

George Axelrod (screen story)
Richard Burridge (additional material)
(more)

Release Date:

28 August 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

If the Fourth Protocol is ever breached, there would be no warning, just a nuclear explosion from a bedsitter...The unthinkable has just begun...

Plot:

KGB agent, Major Valeri Petrofsky has been reassigned at the request of the KGB Chairman for a secret mission...

Plot Keywords:

Russian | KGB | Atomic Bomb | Courier | NATO

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Michael Caine	...	John Preston
Pierce Brosnan	...	Valeri Petrofsky / James Edward Ross
Ned Beatty	...	Borisov / Pavel Petrovic
Joanna Cassidy	...	Irina Vassilievna
Julian Glover	...	Brian Harcourt-Smith
Michael Gough	...	Sir Bernard Hemmings
Ray McAnally	...	General Karpov
Ian Richardson	...	Sir Nigel Irvine
Anton Rodgers	...	George Berenson
Caroline Blakiston	...	Angela Berenson
Joseph Brady	...	Carmichael
Betsy Brantley	...	Eileen McWhirter
Sean Chapman	...	Captain Lyndhurst
Matt Frewer	...	Tom McWhirter
Jerry Harte	...	Professor Krilov
Michael J. Jackson	...	Major Pavlov
Matthew Marsh	...	Barry Banks
Alan North	...	Govershin
Ronald Pickup	...	Wynne-Evans
Aaron Swartz	...	Gregoriev
Julia Verdin	...	Jill Dunkley (as Octavia Verdin)
Johnny Allan	...	Night Porter
Roy Alon	...	Russian Seaman
Michael Bilton	...	Kim Philby
Sarah Bullen	...	Dorothy
Rebecca Burrill	...	Nurse
Peter Cartwright	...	Jan Marais
Rosy Clayton	...	Mrs. Adrian
David Conville	...	Bursham
Nancy Crane	...	Karpov's Secretary
Joanna Dickens	...	Woman Shopper
Sam Douglas	...	Russian Soldier
Mick Ford	...	Sergeant Bilbow
Ronnie Golden	...	The Busker
Steve Halliwell	...	Plastercast Courier
Gordon Honeycombe	...	Television Announcer
John Horsley	...	Sir Anthony Plumb
Boris Isarov	...	Dresser
Philip Jackson	...	Burkinshaw
Julian Jacobson	...	Conductor
Alexei Jawdokimov	...	Aeroflot Pilot
Clare Kelly	...	Landlady
Sally Kinghorn	...	Girlfriend
Ronnie Laughlin	...	Driver at Scene
Renos Liondaris	...	Greek Cafe Owner
Peter Manning	...	Violinist
Kenneth Midwood	...	Chaplain
John Murtagh	...	Scottish Policeman
James Older	...	Timmy Preston
William Parker	...	Cruiser
Stephen Persaud	...	Black Kid
George Phillips	...	Mr. Adrian
Neville Phillips	...	Man in Overcoat
Richard Ridings	...	Skinhead
Mark Rolston	...	Russian Decoder
Michael Seezen	...	Joey
Patsy Smart	...	Preston's Housekeeper
Phil Smeeton	...	Boyfriend
Jirí Stanislav	...	Winkler
Chris Walker	...	Skinhead (as Christopher Walker)
Juanita Waterman	...	Black Girl on Underground Train
Tariq Yunus	...	Immigration Officer
George Zenios	...	Greek Cafe Owner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frederick Forsyth	...	Radio Newsreader (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Mackenzie

Writing credits
George Axelrod		(screen story)
Richard Burridge		(additional material)
Frederick Forsyth		(screenplay)
Frederick Forsyth		(novel)

Produced by
Timothy Burrill	....	producer
Michael Caine	....	executive producer
Frederick Forsyth	....	executive producer
Wafic Said	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Phil Meheux

Film Editing by
Graham Walker

Casting by
Priscilla John
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Allan Cameron

Art Direction by
Tim Hutchinson

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt

Costume Design by
Tiny Nicholls

Makeup Department
Lois Burwell	....	makeup department head
Peter Robb-King	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Juhani Jotuni	....	production manager: Finland

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Dodds	....	second assistant director
Christopher Hall	....	third assistant director
Åke Lindman	....	assistant director: Finland

Art Department
John Wells	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Ian Fuller	....	dubbing editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daryl Jordan	....	assistant foley editor
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Munro	....	sound mixer
Andrew Sissons	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Peter Fern	....	special effects technician
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects
Stephen Hutchinson	....	special effects trainee

Stunts
Eddie Stacey	....	stunt coordinator
Marc Wolff	....	stunt pilot

Camera and Electrical Department
Wayne Leach	....	electrician
Steve Mcleod	....	best boy
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Terry Potter	....	gaffer

Music Department
Julian Jacobson	....	music consultant
Lalo Schifrin	....	conductor
Francis Shaw	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Brian Weske	....	driver: Michael Caine

Other crew
Gilly Case	....	location manager
Diana Dill	....	script supervisor
Antony Ford	....	production office runner
Martin Forde	....	helicopter pilot
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist
Mark Layton	....	production assistant
Simon McNair Scott	....	assistant location manager
Mike Murphy	....	helicopter pilot
Gail Samuelson	....	production coordinator
Nick Slinger	....	helicopter crew
Alan Sutton	....	fire safety
Brian Weske	....	personal assistant: Michael Caine
Marc Wolff	....	helicopter pilot
Melissa J.L. Smith	....	sales and marketing coordinator (uncredited)
Del Spiva	....	distribution coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fourth Protocol

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• Lorimar (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Lorimar Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Rank Video Library (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Collection International (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Carlton International (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2012) (France) (video)
• VTI Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music

Also Known As:

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 (2002) | Netherlands:16 (VHS/DVD rating) (2001) | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (theatrical rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) (1992) (1993) (2003) | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company:

Fourth Protocol

Trivia:

Last cinema feature of John Horsley.

Goofs:

Continuity: The van's blue number plate gets smashed when trying to escape the traffic jam, yet is intact later.

Quotes:

George Berenson:[George just found out that his South African contact is a Russian spy] Oh my God... what have I done?
Sir Nigel Irvine:You've betrayed your country. You've passed on untold numbers of military secrets to Moscow, and endangered the lives of British men and women. And I'd say you've weakened NATO. Perhaps irretrievably.
George Berenson:Oh my God...
Sir Nigel Irvine:Just you, and your schoolboy politics, and your idiotically conceited faith in your own importance.
[pause]
Sir Nigel Irvine:Now some of our more muscular colleagues would like to lock you in a cell and go to work on you with a carving knife and a pair of pliers. The rest would like to feed you to the newspapers and throw whatever's left into prison for 20 years. It's a tricky choice.
[Smiles ever so slightly, pauses]
Sir Nigel Irvine:However, this is what you will do. You shall resume your special relationship with Moscow, but this time I will be supplying the papers. Do you understand?
[George nods]
Sir Nigel Irvine:And later, when you are finished, we will decide what to do with you.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Riot on 42nd St. (1987)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

great film

some comments on this film have stated that there are unnecessary killings of agents or witnesses, this is done to show the politics of the film and how there must be no trace back to those who planned the operation, whilst also portraying that petrofsky is a lethal killer, and as Caine says in the film "the best". A great story, and very believable, spies that remain hidden from each other and no excruciating scene where the bad guy reveals his plot to the good guy. Would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the operation had turned out differently, or the ending for that matter!

Of course one of the best things about this film is the acting as previously stated by other people. Caine brings his character to life and is very believable in the role of John Preston, the agent who cares, and will "bend" the rules to make sure things get down. Brosnan is similarly good, his character will stop at nothing to complete his mission, he is a stone cold killer and this is portrayed well, he doesn't let anything get in the way of the mission.

All in all a very good little film, much better than some of the tripe we get from Hollywood and with one of the finest British casts i've seen in some time.