The Fourth War (1990)

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers (WGA):

Stephen Peters (novel)
Stephen Peters (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 March 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Two proud heroes with no one left to fight... But each other.

Plot:

Cold War drama about two gung-ho border commanders (Roy Scheider, Jurgen Prochnow) who carry out their own private war against each other on the German - Czechoslovakia border.

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film | Based On Novel

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Col. Jack Knowles
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Col. Valachev
Tim Reid	...	Lt. Col. Clark
Lara Harris	...	Elena
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Gen. Hackworth
Dale Dye	...	Sergeant Major
Bill MacDonald	...	MP Corporal
David Palffy	...	Gawky Soldier
Neil Grahn	...	Needle-Nose Soldier
Ernie Jackson	...	Knowles Driver
Ron Campbell	...	Young US Soldier
John Dodds	...	Defector
Richard Durven	...	Young Soldier
Harold Hecht Jr.	...	Dwayne
Alice Pesta	...	Hannelore

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:S (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Aurora Productions LLC

Trivia:

As its ending will verify, the film's title is taken from a quote by Albert Einstein: "I cannot predict what breed of weapons will be employed in the waging of the Third World War; what I CAN predict is that the Fourth World War shall be fought with sticks and stones."

Soundtrack:

Swingin' Times

I WAS IN THE CANADIAN ARMY WHEN THE FILM CAME OUT, ITS SCARY

THE FOURTH WAR is a menacing movie. Director John Frankenheimer does a superlative job with this and films like the MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, BLACK SUNDAY and RONIN. The novel by Stephen Peters is good and so is the screenplay. Roy Scheider (JAWS) plays Col. Jack KNOWLES who won't give an inch to the Soviet commander Col. Valachev played by Jurgen Prochnow (DAS BOOT). The snowball fight could have happened. I was talking to a retired American Intelligence Operative in the Niagara Region of Ontario and by his tennis court he revealed that KNOLL EAGLE is the codename for the American Shadow President who he believed to be none other than President JACK KENNEDY. That would make President George W Bush the second in command of AMERICA. KNOLL EAGLE comes from the 1963 alleged JFK assassination and the grassy knoll where there had to be a second shooter based on the number of shots fired and their accuracy that could not be duplicated. I believe that snipers are cowardly and advocate non-violence. I would just like to say congratulations President Kennedy on winning the cold war. Jack Knowles sounds close to Jack Kennedy Knoll Eagle. Harry Dean Stanton has a fine performance as General Hackworth. When the Russians and Chinese attack America at the same time will they torture me for calling them cowardly and uncivilized? Hopefully America will hold out and I won't have to find out. My military Intelligence course prepared me for interrogation but not torture. I gave the FOURTH WAR a 9 out of 10 for mentioning the AMERICAN nuclear detterent so directly.