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The Fourth Protocol

Name: The Fourth Protocol
Director: John Mackenzie
Released: 1987
Duration: 119 min

Representation Score

1.0/10

Minimal

1987

Director

John Mackenzie

Runtime

119 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Fourth Protocol is a quintessential Cold War thriller that prioritizes high-stakes tension and the preservation of state structures. Its narrative architecture is built upon established social and institutional hierarchies, offering a traditional view of mid-century espionage. While the film succeeds as a genre piece, it lacks intentionality regarding diverse social perspectives. The focus remains strictly on the mechanics of intelligence and national security, reinforcing the demographic and cultural status quo of the 1980s intelligence community.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Fourth Protocol have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses exclusively on geopolitical espionage and state security. It contains no characters or narratives that engage with LGBTQ+ identities.

How does The Fourth Protocol portray gender?

Limited

Male characters dominate the intelligence hierarchies and hold positions of authority. Female characters play secondary or peripheral roles and do not drive the central plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Fourth Protocol?

Limited

The cast is predominantly white and Anglo-Saxon, reflecting the Cold War era's institutional demographics. There is a lack of meaningful non-white representation.

How does The Fourth Protocol represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story reinforces traditional Western institutions and national security as necessary forces. It does not offer critiques of capitalism or the Western global order.

Does The Fourth Protocol include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no depictions of visible or invisible disabilities, neurodivergence, or chronic illness within the central character arcs.

Present on Screen

Effective execution of the political thriller genre through high-stakes tension.

Limited or Absent

Lack of meaningful representation for LGBTQ+ and disabled communities.
Minimal gender diversity within central leadership and authority roles.
Limited racial and ethnic diversity within the primary cast and setting.

Official Synopsis

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.

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