The greatest discovery one man could hope for and it only took 80 years or so for him to get the recognition he fully merited.
When it comes to entertainment involving archaeology, my previous experiences revolve around Sunday afternoon viewings of Time Team with my Dad, not fully appreciating what was being told. Yet here I am, watching The Dig, a film about the most important archaeological dig in British history which appeases everything you ask for. A strong story based on true events, solid performances from cinema stalwart Ralph Fiennes, who is known as a master of the variety of English dialects (although naturally using his Suffolk mother tongue this time around) and Carey Mulligan who has moved herself away from the supporting love character like many of her previous works and into the wise and mysterious yet elegant, lady of the house.
Due to current world circumstances, The Dig was released on Netflix, which gave it the opportunity to be enjoyed by a much larger audience than if it were to be released in the cinema, archaeology films may not be exactly on people’s watch lists (Indiana Jones it is not), making it seemingly a perfect fit for the small screen. The Dig is director Simon Stones second film after 2015’s The Daughter and he seems to have moulded an impressive style of filmmaking that uses the gorgeous English countryside as a primary character, aided by a smartly woven score that enhances the backdrop and dictates the pacing of the film extremely well.
The film begins in 1939, the calm before the storm – the dark cloud that is WWII looming on the horizon. Basil Brown (Fiennes) makes his way to the forthcoming location of excavation to be greeted by the lady of the house, Edith Pretty (Mulligan). The project involves her land and three giant burial mounds that are just waiting for an expert to uncover their secrets. After some persuading, the self-taught excavator accepts the job that will undoubtedly be the stuff of legend for years to come. As time passes by – highlighted by the changing of the seasons – Mr Brown and his team realise that this discovery could very well be bigger than any of them expected, likely to be Anglo-Saxon instead of the more common Viking era.
The impending war means that all excavations must finish up quickly, so with this possible discovery, the British museum plan to take over (another project they have wedeled their way into) as well as demoting Basil to labourer due to his lack of schooling. There are several supporting storylines that flutter in and out of the film, Miss Pretty suffering from a serious illness and desperately trying to hide it from her loved ones. There is also an added love story that navigates away from the original source material involving Edith’s fictional cousin Rory (played by Johnny Flynn), who develops an attraction to Peggy Piggott (Lily James) one of the digs newest recruits, who has become disillusioned in her passionless marriage with her husband Stuart (Ben Chaplin) and yearns for some lustful excitement.
The Dig is perfect for a quiet Saturday afternoon viewing, it has steady pacing with strong performances that support this endearing story throughout. The slightly emotional ending that sets itself up for the start of the war, as well as sharing other nuggets of information about the future of the characters and their monumental dig. This is a film that could have gone unnoticed if released into the cinema, its lack of excitement does not defer it from being an enjoyable film that will almost definitely be welcomed by households up and down the country, as well as the chance at learning something about this country’s rich and important history.
Available to watch on Netflix now.
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