ReviewNetflix movie review: The Dig – Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes in profound archaeological drama

4/5 stars

A familiar sight to anyone who has studied Anglo-Saxon British history, the Sutton Hoo Helmet has become emblematic of the Dark Ages. Thought to belong to King Raedwald of East Anglia, in the east of England, who died in AD624, the bronze headpiece was part of a treasure trove unearthed at the Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk in 1939, which helped shed new light on this previously misunderstood period of history.

The site’s discovery was dramatised in John Preston’s 2007 novel, The Dig, which has now been adapted for the screen and stars Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes. A passionate celebration of historical discovery, the film also serves as a quietly profound meditation on mortality and legacy, driven in large part by a pair of beautifully understated central performances.

Basil Brown (Fiennes) is modest and unassuming, a self-taught archaeologist and accomplished excavator. He first discovers the Sutton Hoo site under a mound on the farmland of ailing young widower, Edith Pretty (Mulligan).

No sooner have his findings gone public, however, the academic community, personified by the pompous Ken Stott, attempt to sideline Brown and diminish his abilities. Pretty remains adamant that Brown should remain in charge of the dig, but as her health fails, so too does her authority.

As the principals work the earth to expose the remains of a centuries-old wooden boat and the bounty of riches stowed within, the yawning chasm of Britain’s class divide proves as threatening as the impending war. History is being made all around them, and the intellectuals scramble to identify their findings in the hope that this will, in turn, secure their own place in history.