Can you dig it? By it, of course, I mean the famous excavation at Sutton Hoo, the discovery of a complete ship, dragged from the river and used as a burial site, complete with a secret chamber full of Anglo-Saxon treasures? Can you dig that? Why, yes, you can! So, sit back and enjoy this lengthy but enjoyable film from the serious side of Netflix, which features all-star cast in a specifically British outing into stiff upper-lips and hidden reserves of pluck and steely determination amongst the filth. Based on a book by John Preston, Simon Stone’s film has a better sense of period and time than most, and somehow makes something absorbing from people shovelling dirt around a pre-WWII field.
The field in question belongs to Ms Pretty (Carey Mulligan in a very different mode to Promising Young Woman). She’s a widower with a young son and an undiagnosed health issue; a quick reading montage establishes that she’s got a kindred spirit in Basil Brown, who fancies a shot at excavating her burial mounds. Played by Ralph Fiennes beneath a fresh frosting of dirt, Brown is arguable the active protagonist here. His view of the world as ‘continuous’ provides plenty of opportunity for several generations of British stars to congregate, from Ken Stott and Ben Chaplin, and newer models Johnny Flynn and Lily James, who inevitably fall in love because, well, Netflix gotta Netflix.
Dodging all the tedious pedants who want to point out the differences between the actual Sutton Hoo excavation and this incarnation, like casual Netflix viewers would care, it’s still notable that James’ character, Peggy Piggot, is portrayed as a daffy, accident prone Bunty rather than the experienced, trusted archaeologist she really was. But this is fiction masquerading as fact, and the details are all available elsewhere. Stone’s film aims for something more poetic, and a sense of lives about to be upturned, by war, by illness, by betrayal, and the script, Moira Buffini’s best to date, nails that idea with some skill.
There’s a painful device by which conversations are relayed without synchronised sound that’s something of a problem; regular Netflix viewers will know that lack of synced sound is a regular issue as your content buffers, and we really don’t need artists leaning into that area without good reason. But such quibbles aside, The Dig is quite an achievement given that the world was hardly waiting for another archaeology film, and this well-acted, carefully constructed film is a pleasant, crowd-pleasing, word-of-mouth surprise.
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81167887
I do enjoy watching Ralph Fiennes in most of his roles, and this movie has been on my radar for some time – glad to hear it delivers!
Feel the same about Fiennes, he’s always good, and while he’s an ensemble player here, it’s an original, wotthwhile film. Enjoy!
That’s an interesting quibble… I never ran into that but my Internet is pretty powerful though. As for this movie, I honestly couldn’t tell if it would have anything solid to offer but, by the sound of this review, it might actually be worth my time. Thanks for sharing!
Even in other people’s houses, and with super wi-fi, I always get some kind of drop-out. Science has not yet caught up with my requirements!
Yep, I dug The Dig and your well mounded review! However, for an instant, I thought you were reviewing Dig, a 2015 made for TV mini series that shoveled dirt off a 2000 year old Israeli prophecy… I’m also digging that there’s more excavation occurring at Sutton Hoo, revealing new treasures and stories to spin…
‘Well-mounded review’ ; very good! Like some of the other commenters, this film made me interested in a particular branch of history that seemed dull previously. And always up for more excavations, is the other Dig worth looking at?
This was a pretty great film both the wife and i enjoyed. Great write up man
Thanks for reading! Wasn’t expecting much of this film, but worked for me too!
Well you know I already really enjoyed it, but I’m into archaeology so that isn’t a surprise.
My dealings with Alex have given me experience of old fossils, so it worked for me too…
Ha! Le fossille Français!
C’est vrai, mon petit chou!
I just watched this but wound up feeling so miserable I killed it before the finish. The overwhelming slow-dying of the Pretty lady was overwrought, as were the academics throwing their weight around with such arrogance. My academics have always respected the “Amateurs” (with a capital A). But I guess if you just make a cool story about what they found you’re only reaching the audience that cares about ancient finds.
I hear you, and I think more people will agree with you than me. I can see that pretty’s illness veered into cliche, as did the contrived sniping on site between the factions. But I did admire the film for trying to pitch to someing bigger, and that only really lands towards the end. I started out with what I felt was a two star film, but was won over by the way the ingredients were re-positioned by the end…
Fiennes was excellent and the young lad but though this missed the mark by a long way.
Yup, I think Johnny Flynn is good, seen him in a few things now. But I can also see why this has missed the mark for some, quite remote in outlook…
The Dig was a pleasant surprise – I really enjoyed it. I actually liked the asynchronous dialogue, it was a slightly arty touch that I think the film survived and perhaps even benefitted from. The romance felt a little rushed, a plotline that was introduced too late for a film, though I suspect would have worked better in the novel. Like a lot of viewers, I suspect, I searched for some photos of the actual dig and I was surprised how accurate the film seems to have been (with the usual artistic licenses of course).
Anyway, I wrote my thoughts here if you’re interested: https://wp.me/p8BjDL-1jg
…and just to pick up your point about the non-synced dialogue. I might have gone for this in the cinema, but I ended up literally checking my bandwidth at several points; when people of Netflix are talking and the words don’t come out, that usually only means one thing and it ain’t art. Maybe I’m just too aware of the likelihood of technical malfunctions to be comfortable with such a gamble…
Wait, the out of sync audio is done on purpose? Really?
Really. I get more than enough of that from Netflix as it is…
No highspeed internet for you?
You never get glitches?
Our internet isn’t fast enough for us to notice extra ones 😀
Right. But people on Netflix quite often have no sound coming out of their mouths:dropout. Not ideal. That’s why I record the dialogue onto wax cylinders and okay it back in sync with the images. There’s always an easy fix.
I guess when your livelihood depends on that kind of thing…
I live life on the edge. That your week of horridness over?
Yep. Now i have to wring as much “do nothing” as I can from the weekend and hope March is better….
“Fancies a shot at excavating her burial mounds,” sounds a bit indecent.
Sexier that your excrement covered buttocks quiz, Bunty….
No excrement in either of the ass quizzes! You’re seeing things. I don’t know why you’re seeing such things, but you are. I think you may have deeper issues than these archaeologists could excavate.
Looked like some dirty bums to me…
Nope. Seeing things.
Do you need me to show you your own dirty buns?
That’s not poo.
What is it then?
Bruising.
You’ll be getting a bruising if you keep posting such filth…
I think you’ve bottomed out.
You’re the one making an arse of things…
ain’t THAT the truth!
We could start a crowdfunding drive to pay for some of his therapy. He needs an intervention.
Not me posting pictures of grubby buns on my blog, mate!
You wanted sexy, you got it.
In what way do a few soiled posteriors match my request?
Again with the soiling. You see, Freud would have something to say about this.
I can’t imagine that you posting pictures of 25 arses would ring many positive bells for Sigmund.
Sometimes an arse is just an arse. But it’s this potty fixation of yours that’s concerning. I recommend therapy. It can help. Medication if all else fails.
I’m running a strict, above board blog here, no nudity or bare backsides. You may want to run a seedy, top shelf operation for thrill seekers, but I shall not sully myself by offering such crudity to my more sophisticated readers…
How Victorian.
You see, it’s this repression that’s the source of all the trouble. No wonder you object so strongly to such representative of the unfettered id as the Leprechaun and the Critters.
Are we not still living under the reign of good Queen Victoria? Does she not govern us still?
This is what comes of living in a magical village that only reappears every hundred years . . .
Now who’d deflecting? What’s my magical village go to do with the matter in hand? I put it to you that your ‘competitions’ are nothing more that a vile bid to break the internet with undraped male buttocks, and I rest my case pending the intervention of authorities.
You’re the one claiming to still being ruled by Queen Victoria, whose morality you endorse. In the twenty-first century we no longer view the body as something “dirty.”
I view your blog, the photos which appear on it, and the mind that created it as all being ‘dirty’ in the minds of both Queen Victoria and myself, and we are unanimous in that.
So you *are* Queen Victoria now? And the Beast of Blanefield? How many of you are in there?
Things are obviously much worse than I suspected.
I am just the three of us, what’s your problem? Never crossed swords with a Queen Victoria/Beast/critic hybrid before?
To buy the straitjacket?
For Alex? We’d need to catch him first…
Well I checked out the man buns on Monsieur Alex’s site and most of them look quite peachy, with the odd exception. I examined them very closely but could find no evidence of poop, so I think the straitjacket might fit you.
What you do in your own private time is your own business, young lady, but Alex’s blog is degenerate filth or my name is not HRH Queen Victoria.
This is nonsense. Just yesterday there was talk on this blog about tits. And men’s tits at that!
Talk that came from you, Monsieur Alex!
More like Margaret Whitehouse. Of course Monsieur Alex has an avant garde blog, il et Français!
Being French is no excuse. No-one enjoys a bit of ‘oh la la’ French tickling than me, but Alex’s semi-pornographic blog is a danger to the morals of the internet and must be stopped. Ban him! Down with this kind of thing!
*backs away slowly and exits stage left*
Quite right. Alex has brought down the tone of this blog. Sad!
Sigh.
Mary Whitehouse, surely?
Yep knew there was an M involved.
I’ve got nothing x-rated. But if you want to pay for a cam show, my rates are reasonable.
I’ve been burned before. How much for ten minutes, in a state of deshabille? I don’t have much cash but have £5 in PayPal if that helps.
A fiver gets you a text message. Actually, just an emoji. But you get to pick the emoji.
Can I have one that looks like you in a state of deshabille? I don’t even know where my emojis are, this one looks like you, right? O
Deshabille around here means sweatpants and a hoodie, so I’m all set.
Great, is there a slot for me to put my money in?
😀 is this you?
I’m only taking Bitcoin now, but don’t worry, send your banking details and I’ll set up the exchange.
It’s ok, the moment has passed, managed to find a photo of a garlic press that did the job. Phew!
I enjoyed this one and it helps bring a bit more interest in the real story. Great read.
I wasn’t much interested in the subject or cast initially, but The Dig came through on both, much to my surprise. Thanks for reading!
It’s definitely reawakened my interest in history. I would ro vosit the site now and the the Natural History Museum. Could be my next trip as I won’t be flying overseas for a while.
I guess this is well timed to promote British history and tourism!
To revisit I mean. WordPress definitely needs an edit option
I’ve learned to accept the mistranslations….