Netflix: Review of THE DIG: Achievement in Archeology

January 30. 2021

In 1939, archeological excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) was hired by land owner Edith Petty (Carrie Mulligan) to conduct on the burial mounds found on her Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk county. Soon, Brown uncovered what proved to be the hull of an ancient ship used probably by Anglo-Saxon royalty. Senior archeologist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) learned of the discovery and took over the dig, bringing his own men in, including younger archeologists, Stuart Piggott (Ben Chaplin) and his wife Peggy (Lily James). 

This was a quiet period movie reminiscent of the Merchant-Ivory films which I missed a lot. The cinematography of Mike Eley was breathtaking as he took shots of the dig from all angles, using the sun effectively to create drama. The production design was meticulously true to the period, as well as the costumes and hairstyles, the locations and the vehicles. Gentleman as he was, Basil Brown was actually doing his dig wearing a tie and vest. Britain was about to be drawn into World War 2 at that time, so there were also war planes involved. 

As Brown, Ralph Fiennes was looking much older than his 58 years here, but this actor can really imbue his acting with a lot of quiet passion. Carrie Mulligan, fresh from her acclaimed performance in "Promising Young Woman" which may earn her an Oscar nomination, balanced her portrayal of aristocrat Pretty with spunk and conviction despite her delicate sickly constitution. British character actor Ken Stott was appropriately snooty and bossy as Phillips, serving the role of the mild antagonist in this generally genteel narrative. 

The story about the discovery of the Sutton Hoo archeological site with its intact ship burial with Anglo-Saxon artifacts was fascinating to learn about. It was interesting to see how archeologists like Brown and Phillips worked, and how they jockeyed for position to gain credit for discoveries. It was only unfortunate that the filmmakers felt the need to pad the story with a fictional love triangle between the Pigotts and Mrs. Pretty's cousin, Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn), which was such an unnecessary detour from the central drama. 7/10.