REVIEW: ‘The Grey Fox’ starring Richard Farnsworth, in a new 4K restoration
Photo: Richard Farnsworth stars in The Grey Fox, which has been recently restored. Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber / Provided by official site with permission.
Richard Farnsworth, the late wonderful actor from such movies as Comes a Horseman and The Straight Story, helped breathe life into a small in scope, but still effective Canadian-produced western in 1982 called The Grey Fox. The Phillip Borsos-directed film has recently been rereleased in a new 4K restoration. Audiences members can catch the film on Kino Lorber’s virtual screening platform, Kino Marquee.
Farnsworth plays the character of Bill Miner, an outlaw who is released from prison at the beginning of the 20th century. He heads home to his sister, but he’s unwelcome by his brother-in-law. Rather than earning an honest living, which he seems perfectly capable of doing, Bill decides to venture back into the criminal life. Before prison he was a stagecoach robber, and now, with the world moved on to bigger and newer technology, he turns to train robbery.
The motivation for Bill’s criminal activity is unclear. He definitely doesn’t say no to the money, and there is a reputation built around his scheming and stealing — but he doesn’t seem interested in the headlines. Honestly it appears he takes this money simply because it’s a challenge, and he wants to know whether he’s still got the skills within him. Robbery is a means of knowing that he’s still alive.
The beautiful vistas captured by the camera are dazzling, especially in the new 4K restoration. The cinematography is beautiful and memorable, perfectly showcasing the turn-of-the-century Pacific West. The original music provided by the Irish band the Chieftains is nicely complementary to the characters, montages and plot developments.
Supporting work from Jackie Burroughs, who plays photographer Kate Flynn, and Wayne Robson as Bill’s righthand accomplice Shorty are nicely matched with Farnsworth’s understated but still impressive performance. This is not an over-the-top dramatization; this is a film and a script (courtesy of John Hunter) steeped in reality and slow-moving progression. Bill is learning the ropes of the new world and testing out how far he can take his chosen line of work. The audience is the beneficiary of his explorations.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Grey Fox (1982). Directed by Phillip Borsos. Written by John Hunter. Starring Richard Farnsworth, Jackie Burroughs and Wayne Robson. Running time: 92 minutes. Rating: 
Click here for more information on the 4K restoration.
