The Dig (2020)

[Zar]

Just watched this film about an amateur excavator/archeologist who stumbles upon a site that changes their understanding of history. I read that the movie is based on the famous Sutton Hoo dig and the discovery, along with the ship, of the Anglo-Saxon helmet. The soundtrack is very touching and though the plot is only set around an archeological dig, the characters' individual stories add such depth to the movie.

Synopsis: As WWII looms, a wealthy widow (Carey Mulligan) hires an amateur archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain's past resonate in the face of its uncertain future‎.

 

[Adaryn]

Great film, with excellent actors (special mention for the kid who plays Mrs Pretty's son) who manage to convey so much emotion in a very sober way. The photography and soundtrack are gorgeous. I had goose bumps when they started to dig up the first artefacts and realized they were much older than expected, ie, Anglo-Saxon.

About Sutton Hoo:

Sutton Hoo is the site of two early medieval cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries near Woodbridge, in Suffolk, England. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938. One cemetery had an undisturbed ship burial with a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts. Most of these objects are now held by the British Museum. Scholars believe Rædwald of East Anglia is the most likely person to have been buried in the ship. The site is important in establishing the history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia as well as illuminating the early Anglo-Saxon period which lacked historical documentation.


Gold shoulder clasp, with inlays of garnets and glass

A replica of the Sutton Hoo helmet produced for the British Museum by the Royal Armouries

The site was first excavated by Basil Brown under the auspices of the landowner Edith Pretty, but when its significance became apparent, national experts took over. During the 1960s and 1980s, the wider area was explored by archaeologists and many other individual burials were revealed. The artefacts comprise what is considered the greatest treasure ever discovered in the UK. Those found in the burial chamber include a suite of metalwork dress fittings in gold and gems, a ceremonial helmet, a shield and sword, a lyre, and silver plate from the Byzantine Empire.

The ship burial has prompted comparisons with the world of the Old English poem Beowulf. The poem is partly set in Götaland in southern Sweden, which has archaeological parallels to some of the finds from Sutton Hoo.

The cemeteries are located close to the River Deben estuary and other archaeological sites. They appear as a group of approximately 20 earthen mounds that rise slightly above the horizon of the hill-spur when viewed from the opposite bank. The newer burial ground is situated on a second hill-spur about 500 metres (1,600 ft) upstream of the first. It was discovered and partially explored in 2000 during preliminary work for the construction of an Exhibition Hall for tourists. This site also has burials, but the tops of their mounds had been obliterated by later agricultural activity.

The nearby visitor centre contains original artefacts, replicas of finds and a reconstruction of the ship burial chamber. The site is in the care of the National Trust.

 

[MK Scarlett]

This film is trully beautiful and I really enjoyed it too. I found Ralph Fiennes excellent and very far from role of Voldemort. A very sensitive realisation, and the photography is gorgeous, as @Adaryn said. I highly recommend it and if not for the acting or the realisation, to see it only for the true story of this archaeological discovery (which I personally did not know, but it is true that I am not British).

Sentences at the end of the film explaining what happened next should not surprise people here, regarding how Sciences (and in this instance in archeology) go for centuries and from Reformation especially. But I will not spoil.

 

[Cosmos]

Just watched it. A beautiful movie indeed. Thank‘s for recommending it!

 

[Debra Lynn]

This was a beautiful movie. I felt their excitement when they began discovering the treasures of the burial mound. Thanks for the recommend!

 

[Catalyst]

I also saw this movie and enjoyed.

A bit of turmoil when the DIG was almost taken over. Discovery and passion.

 

[Joan]

Yes I watched some weeks ago on Netflix, and agree, it was very interesting to watch. It gave insight to my mind, of a man that was not schooled in the archeological process of the time, he had no qualifications.

He was aware of the landscape, the area and also familial history, shared by his father, as I recollect.

What struck, was the usurpation of his work by noted, so called experts in the field, all theoretical, academically trained at well know Universities in the UK.

Kinda reminds me of what we are witnessing at this time with the mantra "listen to the experts"

That being said, the discoveries, thanks to the initial work performed were monumental, in discovering a part of the history of the UK, in a dark and distant past.
.

 

[mbww]

Great movie, very accurate to the real story. I was most impressed with how well it conveys the awareness of the importance of the task that unites all participants across their different social status and orientation: the upper-class Lady landlord with her knack for history (Mrs Pretty) and her lower class staff with their dedication to assist in the project, the rough-cut excavator with his unassuming education (Basil), the museum representatives with their initial dismissive attitude, even the kid with his passion for astronauts. “From the first human hand print on a cave wall, we are part of something continuous”, that’s a great quote.
There is no underlying motive in their actions as we would tend to assume with our thinking and pinch for drama, to the point where the creators of the movie needed to add the love-interest subplot just to please an audience looking for such motifs, which worked fine too.

As Ralph Fiennes (brilliant actor) said in an interview:
“I think it’s about kinship and closeness and connection with someone, not to do with the romantic or sexual. It’s just it was about, when you go through life, those connections with people. They can be with a teacher or with friends of your parents or they can be just a friend, but those deeper connections where you feel you’re seen and I guess implicitly respected or understood by another, those are very valuable. And it was the fact that it was written so beautifully.”

 

[Voyageur]

Watched this film last night and thought it lovely on many levels. With the main character Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to be denied historical recognition was sad (although Mrs. Pretty states it out loud)...yet the future would change the historical course, hence this film's production, too.