Film Snail

6.3

The Fourth Protocol

NR·1987·119m

Action

Thriller

Action

Thriller

Summary

Led by Kim Philby, Plan Aurora is a plan that breaches the top-secret Fourth Protocol and turns the fears that shaped it into a living nightmare. A crack Soviet agent, placed under cover in a quiet English country town, begins to assemble a nuclear bomb, whilst an MI5 agent attempts to prevent its detonation.

Cast

Michael Caine

John Preston

Pierce Brosnan

Valeri Petrofsky / James Edward Ross

Ned Beatty

Borisov

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

Betsy Brantley

Eileen McWirther

Matt Frewer

Tom

Matthew Marsh

Barry Banks

Ronald Pickup

Wynne-Evans

Philip Jackson

Burkinshaw

Sean Chapman

Captain Lyndhurst

Joseph Brady

Carmichael

Jerry Harte

Prof. Krilov

Michael J. Jackson

Major Pavlov

Alan North

Govershin

Aaron Swartz

Gregoriev

Julia Verdin

Jill Dunkley

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

Busker

Steve Halliwell

Plastercast Courier

Gordon Honeycombe

TV Announcer

John Horsley

Sir Anthony Plumb

Boris Isarov

Dresser

Richard Ridings

Skinhead

Julian Jacobson

Conductor

John Murtagh

Scottish Policeman

Patsy Smart

Preston's Housekeeper

James Older

Timmy Preston

Alexei Jawdokimov

Aeroflot Pilot

Clare Kelly

Landlady

Sally Kinghorn

Girlfriend

Ronnie Laughlin

Driver at Scene

Renos Liondaris

Greek Cafe Owner

Neville Phillips

Man in Overcoat

Peter Manning

Violinist

Kenneth Midwood

Chaplain

William Parker

Cruiser

Stephen Persaud

Black Kid

George Phillips

Mr Adrian

Mark Rolston

Russian Decoder

Michael Seezen

Joey

Phil Smeeton

Boyfriend

Chris Walker

Skinhead

Jiří Stanislav

Winkler

Juanita Waterman

Black Girl on Underground Train

Tariq Yunus

Immigration Officer

George Zenios

Greek Cafe Owner

Stephanie English

Protester

Eddie Powell

Angry Motorist

Crew

Director

John Mackenzie

Novel, Screenplay

Frederick Forsyth

Screenstory

George Axelrod

Reviews

Geronimo1967

February 9, 2023

There is something plausible abut Michael Caine's performance here. He ("Preston") is the antithesis of Sir Alec Guinness's "George Smiley" - a hard nosed, blunt spy catcher who hates toeing the line with his bosses. After a bit of clandestine activity, he is on his way out and is sidelined until a seemingly straightforward fatal accident gets his alarm bells ringing. Meantime, KGB agent "Petrofsky" (Pierce Brosnan) arrives in the UK and - eventually - takes up residence near an American Air Force base equipped with nuclear missiles. What's he up to and can "Preston" find out and thwart his dastardly plan? This is one of Frederick Forsyth's better stories. The plot is clear to the audience, but the two characters exist in isolation (from each other) for much of the drama as neither know of the other's existence! Despite being experienced and pretty well known, the supporting cast isn't the most effective - I struggled a bit with Ned Beatty's "Borisov"; but both Caine and Brosnan work well to build up a sense of menace as the nature of the mission becomes clear and director John Mackenzie develops a tightly constructed and well paced plot into a denouement that goes down to the wire. It's dated a little, and maybe serendipity plays a wee bit too much of a part at times, but it's still very much at the better end of those cold war stories and is still well worth a watch.