Mikes Film Talk

Based upon the life of the real Bill Miner; The Grey Fox is a real step back in time. Both in terms of the time period the film was set and the year it was released. The 1982 film stars the real-life stuntman Richard Farnsworth as Bill.

The Story

Bill Miner is a polite stage robber. He is eventually caught by the Pinkerton Agency and spends a few decades in prison. When Bill is released he faces a new world, one much changed from his time before prison. While watching a silent film, Bill realises his robbing days are not over. As stagecoaches are a thing of the past, Miner, the grey fox, decides to rob trains.

In Canada.

Rambling

Canadian director Phillip Borsos stepped out smartly and turned the quiet low key robbery/romance into an iconic piece of nostalgia. Solid performances from the cast helps sell this tale. Minter, by all accounts, was likeable and a gentleman. Farnsworth, in his portrayal of the American bandit, lends so much gravitas to the role that it is all too easy to side with the man.

Whether the real Miner was as stoic and taciturn as Farnsworth’s take on the man is neither here nor there. The Grey Fox paints a picture of the almost stereotypical westerner. It works for this film and that is what matters. Borsos uses old movie footage interspersed with “aged” film later when Miner and his “gang” of two are caught up with.

Why it works

The Grey Fox works a lot like Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. A few outlaws who realise almost too late that times have changed. Each are, for the most part, unable to adapt successfully to this new world. Peckinpah’s “heroes” only change their ways once. When one of their own is savagely mistreated. And of course, they are fictional characters. Farnsworth’s character, being based upon a real “old west” outlaw, changes, but only in terms of who he is robbing. Stagecoaches, like the buffalo, have vanished.

This melancholic look at the west above the United States border, allows time for reflection and romance. Miner meets someone and falls in love.

The Cast

Wrapping Up

If you head into this film expecting a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or The Wild Bunch, you will be sorely disappointed. However, if you allow yourself to bask in the glow of Farnsworth’s performance and the story, you will fall in love with The Grey Fox.

The entire cast lend a sort of truth to this old time tale. Kudos especially to Jackie Burroughs as the love interest and to Timothy Webber as the reluctant sergeant. We give The Grey Fox 4 out of 5 stars. This slow, yet compelling, turn of the century western is wonderful to watch.

The Trailer