The Fourth State is a 2012 German thriller film directed by Dennis Gansel and starring Moritz Bleibtreu, Kasia Smutniak, Max Riemelt, Rade Serbedzija, Mark Ivanir and Isabella Vinet. It premiered in Germany on March 8, 2012. The working title was The Year of the Snake.

Moritz Johann Bleibtreu (German: [ˈmoːʁɪts ˈblaɪptʁɔʏ] is a German film actor, voice actor, and film director. He has been a successful actor in many movies such as Run Lola Run, Das Experiment, The Baader Meinhof Complex, and Elementary Particles. His role in Knockin' on Heaven's Door was the one that set off his career back in 1997.