The Fourth Protocol

[thirdlady]

The Fourth Protocol (1987)





this thiller set in russia, america and britain, with a good selection of stars in the casting roles including pierce brosnan and michael caine

[Windthrop]

The Fourth Protocol (1987)

this thiller set in russia, america and britain, with a good selection of stars in the casting roles including pierce brosnan and michael caine

An George Axelrod writing the script !



The film as nearly but not quite a majot hit. The book was blockbuster and seemed chillingly probable at the time but by the time the movie was released changes were afoot in Russia which made the film look a little old-fashioned even then.



Solid film though.

[christoph404]

Frederick Forsythe wanted to make his own film of his book with his chum Michael Caine in the lead role so he approached Caine and suggested they form their own production company so that they could exercise control over the project. I think they did a pretty good job, hiring in director John Mackenzie and writer George Axelrod to contribute to the shooting script. I would say a lot of credit should go to writer Forsythe for coming up with the story from his own novel and for initiating the project but I think he prefered to remain low key, though I think he was on set for most of filming. Brosnan got his part on the back of his association with Mackenzie (The Long Good Friday) though by 87 he was a TV star (Remmington Steele) but still a few years before his highpoint as Bond. I think it is a very well made and enjoyable film and most of all it is very well acted, the late Anton Rogers gives a good performance as a misguided double agent. Its a pity it didn't seem to do so well and disapeared after its intial release, I have a DVD copy that I received free with a Daily newspaper a few years ago!

[Steve Crook]

A well made, dramatic thriller



Steve

[batman]

One of the few decent non-Bond UK 'spy' films since the 70s. I really enjoyed it. Caine is in good form, Brosnan is a fine adversary and the story is pretty exciting.



Bats.

[thirdlady]

it sure is an exciting movie to watch! it's what I would call "Well crafted" and it's a classic movie.

[stevie boy]

Great scene when Caine has his tussle with Brosnan, a sas type comes up the stairs and Caine says 'don't shoot'. That was good acting and a good scene. This film has one of my favourites in it,Caroline Blakiston, she was a stunner in the sixties.

[Steve Crook]

Great scene when Caine has his tussle with Brosnan, a sas type comes up the stairs and Caine says 'don't shoot'. That was good acting and a good scene. This film has one of my favourites in it,Caroline Blakiston, she was a stunner in the sixties.

And was the SAS type

  Spoiler:

who then shot Brosnan

the same actor who was the SAS sergeant in Who Dares Wins?



Steve

[AdrianTurner]

I quite like this picture, too. At the first press screening at the Odeon Leicester Square it caused a huge gasp because of the shot the ferry ship, Herald of Free Enterprise (or one just like it) that had just sunk, causing considerable loss of life.



Of course, much of Forsyth's intricate plotting has been jettisoned, and I especially mourned the loss of his huge, hair-raisingly right-wing sub-plot involving the toppling of the British government by a sort of Ken Livingstone figure. All that was far too complicated and a bit obscure for international audiences.

[s20076037]

Has a great Lalo Schifrin score throughout, that really builds the tension.

[stevie boy]

I quite like this picture, too. At the first press screening at the Odeon Leicester Square it caused a huge gasp because of the shot the ferry ship, Herald of Free Enterprise (or one just like it) that had just sunk, causing considerable loss of life.



Of course, much of Forsyth's intricate plotting has been jettisoned, and I especially mourned the loss of his huge, hair-raisingly right-wing sub-plot involving the toppling of the British government by a sort of Ken Livingstone figure. All that was far too complicated and a bit obscure for international audiences.

I think it was Ken Livingstone!!

[christoph404]

Has a great Lalo Schifrin score throughout, that really builds the tension.

Absoluteley, I'd forgotten Lalo Schifrin had scored the movie!...

[Windthrop]

I was somewhat amused by the fact that Caine's assistants are all tweedy/corduroyed 'nerds' like Barry etc. presumably to make Caine look more dynamic and deadly by comparison. Maybe Caine was feeling a bit insecure by then.

[eric7885]

The Fouth Protocol,a well crafted film,a film that you have to keep attention too. Spies,counteragents,greed,misguided loyalties,etc, which British film makers are the best in bringing these stories to the screen.

[NathanC]

It was very interesting to see Pierce Brosnan as a villain - he will probably be best remembered for his portrayl of James Bond - but nevertheless he delivers a sterling performance here as a ruthless, ice-cold killer. Terrific acting by Brosnan and also by Michael Caine who gives a slightly anti-hero performance (always arguing with Julian Glover's Brian Harcourt-Smith for example) but neveretheless manages to save the day in the end.

[CaineFan]

A very underated film. 4 stars out of 5 for me. Pierce Brosnan is very good in this as well as Sir Michael (as usual).

[Tony Pendrey]

I watched this adaptation last night for the first time. I love the novel and was wondering how so much could be conveyed in a film. They haven't done a bad job at all.



And much to my surprise I actually found myself feeling nostalgic for the 1980's !



Times seemed much simpler then. All we had to worry about was the possibility of a global nuclear holocaust and unemployment. Now it's global warming and unemployment.

[Windthrop]

I watched this adaptation last night for the first time. I love the novel and was wondering how so much could be conveyed in a film. They haven't done a bad job at all.

And much to my surprise I actually found myself feeling nostalgic for the 1980's !

Times seemed much simpler then. All we had to worry about was the possibility of a global nuclear holocaust and unemployment. Now it's global warming and unemployment.

The film is now old fashioned for obvious reasons but in its day it worked very well. I remember seing it at the leicester Sq Odeon and enjoying it but being aware that due to the beginning of Glasnost thrillers like it were on the way out.



The book was a hugh hit in its day, I remember that.

[costermk]

Great film! caught it some time ago and caused me to try and research the filming locations used within Milton Keynes. I found out that the 'Solar House' which was at the American Airbase was originally built to be part of the Energy World Exhibition '81, and that the house is actually 1/2km away from the street the film makers wanted it so they built a replicate facade in a small car-park come turning around area. The actually house is very much detached and not at the bottom of the close as described in the film.

When i went to the house recently i found that the front as it was in the 80's is actually the rear of the property, and i was told that the current owners actually have a picture of Cain in their sitting room on the wall. I am not wanting to upset anyone by publishing the URL to my website so please PM me for more details.

[stevenmtaylor]

I've always liked this but I do find the scenes with Brosnan a lot less interesting than the ones with Caine (playing a sort of middle-aged Harry Palmer), that may just be a personal prejudice though!