THE GREY FOX (1982) - Kino Lorber Blu-Ray Review

[AndyDursin]

THE GREY FOX
8/10

The early-mid 80s yielded a number of terrific “art house” hits produced outside the U.S., and in the case of THE GREY FOX (92 mins., 1982, PG), was one of several interesting films made by Canadian director Philip Borsos, whose life prematurely ended at age 41, taking with him a great deal of untapped cinematic potential.

“The Grey Fox” would be his biggest success – a film about an American stagecoach robber (Richard Farnsworth) who, just released after three decades in prison, finds out he can only do what he knows, and sets out to stage another heist in the Pacific Northwest woods of Canada. Along the way he meets and woos a photographer (Jackie Borroughs) and contemplates settling down in a rural mining town, but the call of the wild – and the freedom of a life without attachment – proves too great a temptation.

Beautifully shot on-location by Frank Tidy, who had filmed “The Duellists” for Ridley Scott, “The Grey Fox” is low-key, doesn't overstay its welcome, and tells its true story with remarkable economy. The understated nature of the storytelling proves to be one of its strongest assets, with Borsos – who directed from John Hunter's original screenplay – coaxing a sympathetic turn from Farnsworth, who stepped in when original lead Harry Dean Stanton became unavailable (Stanton would later work with Borsos on his remarkably depressing Disney drama “One Magic Christmas”). The picaresque Pacific Northwest locations are beautiful to behold, and Michael Conway Baker's score effectively incorporates The Cheiftains and Paddy Maloney's central theme – it's a romantic western with a more reserved Canadian feel, as producer Peter O'Brian puts it, and all the better for it.

Borsos would go on to an interesting but unfortunately sporadic career, helming a couple of American studio films (the underrated Kurt Russell thriller “The Mean Season” and outdoor family adventure “Far From Home,” which was released after his death) and, in the interim, directing an expensive Canadian biopic, “Bethune,” starring Donald Sutherland. His sensitivity and eye for interesting detail make “The Grey Fox” a pleasure to watch, especially now in a lovely 4K restoration (1.85) presented on Blu-Ray by Kino Lorber.

This is a superb disc with warm colors and a number of extras, including interviews with O'Brian, composer Baker, a featurette on the restoration, DTS MA mono sound and a commentary from filmmaker/admirer Alex Cox. Highly recommended!