No great find
Well played and visually impressive, The Dig tells the true story of the excavation of the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial site in 1938. But the British reserve proves too dull for film reviewer CAMERON BLACKSHAW
NETFLIX’S new film is unashamedly quaint and British, tapping into that period drama hunger that was once satiated by Downton Abbey. Set just before the beginning of the Second World War, The Dig tells the romanticised story of how a selftaught archaeologist discovered the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial site on the land of a wealthy widow. Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan star in the two lead roles and although the pair do their very best, their carefully composed performances do little to save the dull affair that is The Dig.
The film takes no time in getting started, with the first scenes showing local archaeologist Basil Brown (Fiennes) travel across Suffolk to Edith
Pretty’s (Mulligan’s) country estate. Edith shows Basil the large burial mounds on her land which she believes could hold some historical significance. Basil agrees, correctly theorising the site may be Anglo-Saxon rather than the more common Viking and gets on excavating the site, despite Ipswich Museum officials wanting him to work on a Roman Villa they deem more important.
As Basil continues to excavate and discovers the significance of the AngloSaxon site, word spreads of the dig and prominent Cambridge archaeologist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) arrives and takes control of the project. Other characters are introduced and their melodramatic subplots drive the story to its conclusion.
That’s The Dig’s main problem; the amount of tedious side stories that have no relation to one another or the film’s larger story.
The decline of Pretty’s health contains the film’s only emotional pull and gives Mulligan plenty to play with. But the rest of it really leaves a lot to be desired. The romantic connection between Pretty’s cousin and one of the archaeologists is essentially a pointless inclusion, and random points of interest
that are raised throughout the story (such as the Browns’ lack of children) are rarely ever referred to again.
All the actors do a successful job with the script and the Time Team-style handheld cinematography is really good at communicating the physical and textural nature of the excavation. It’s a great-looking film that will make you want to get your hands dirty in our lovely countryside.
However, the story just doesn’t quite cut the mustard, lacking much direction besides providing Basil Brown with the proper recognition he deserves. Unfortunately, The Dig refuses to muddy itself, presenting a bland historical drama that leaves little reason to be remembered.
The Dig (12A)
Running time1hr 52mins Rating: **