Plot: John Preston, a tough British spy, accidentally uncovers a plot by a rogue Russian agent to detonate a nuclear device in English territory. Preston must race against the clock to find the weapon, and his adversary, before WWIII is unleashed on the free world.
Based on the best seller by Frederick Forsyth, The Fourth Protocol is a tense, slow-burn thriller that was released at the height of the Cold War. John Mackenzie (The Last of The Finest) directs the action.
Michael Caine (who also co-produced) is fantastic as the hard-as-nails spy Preston. His character is basically Dirty Harry crossed with Harry Palmer. Early in the film, there’s a great scene where Caine brutally beats the hell out of some skinheads on a train who are racially vilifying an innocent young woman and it’s a delight seeing Caine dish out justice. He’s a one of a kind star and this pic lets him shine.
Brosnan is ice cold as Petrofsky, the Russian agent given the secret mission to detonate a nuke on western soil. A far cry from his James Bond persona, Brosnan’s character is a suave, but deadly bastard, who kills without emotion and doesn’t mind using people to get what he wants. Brosnan is an underrated actor in my opinion, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing this character other than him. His performance is so sharp, that it’s hard to take your eyes off him because you’re waiting to see what he’ll do next.
Supporting roles are filled with familiar faces like the dependable Joanna Cassidy, as Petrofsky’s gorgeous contact who makes the mistake of falling for his charms, and classic British actors like Michael Gough and Ray McAnally. Ned Beatty has a small, but pivotal role, as a
Russian power player with murky motives.
Far from an action film, The Fourth Protocol does have its share of blood-letting. The pic opens with a swift execution, and we get a nasty throat-slit and a climactic gunfight. This film is more about the journey and the details then gore and violence and director Mackenzie knows how to frame the thrills and unexpected twists amongst the dense plot.
Speaking of, the film’s story is a little convoluted and could have been condensed to make the picture tighter, but it’s my only gripe with this well-crafted and acted thriller.
They simply don’t make films like this any more (an intelligent thriller that makes the audience connect the dots, rather than spoon-feeding it to them), and with the reliable talents of Caine (who is a treasure) and Brosnan, you can’t go wrong with The Fourth Protocol. It’s classy entertainment.
