As the world enters a new era of peace, what becomes of professional soldiers, those who have spent their entire lives preparing for war? On a frozen stretch of Russian border, two veteran military men, American Colonel Jack Knowles (Roy Scheider) and Russian Colonel N. A. Valachev (Jürgen Prochnow), command small, almost insignificant outposts. Knowles has a reputation for being a loose cannon, and his commanding officer (Harry Dean Stanton) hopes the quiet post will keep Knowles out of trouble. But after Knowles sees Russian guards gun down a defector, what follows is a forbidden battle between the two men, trading invasions into each other's territories. As the two Colonels continue to strike at one another, their personal vendetta threatens to escalate into a full-scale military confrontation and the world may not survive "The Fourth War." Top-notch direction by the great John Frankenheimer with a strong supporting cast that includes Tim Reid and Dale Dye. Show less