Film Review: 'The Dig'
“The Dig”(2021) attempts to use ancient relics and their effervescent nature to draw comparison to the fleeting lives humans live, but instead, every character is given fleeting screen-time which accumulates to a meandering mess of a movie. Based on historical accounts, “The Dig” follows a private excavation of a mysterious backyard mound in 1938 Britain. Period dramas are a well-traveled genre for drumming up tension and suspense from the mundane, but setting it in an excavation site breaks new ground. Tasked with adapting John Preston’s novel to screen, Director Simon Stone’s style is aesthetically pleasing and tranquil. Unfortunately, even when featuring a monumental archaeological discovery, the film remains emotionally idle.
It’s hard to tell if longing looks are the growing bond of romance or camaraderie, or if the stoic English stares are of loathing or professional disagreement.
The film follows Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a lonely widow with curious mounds of earth on her land which she suspects hold an archaeological discovery. She hires local excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to reveal this mystery. Her son, Robert Pretty (Archie Barnes), is delighted for company, and her cousin, Johnny Flynn (Rory Lomax), visits to help dig. After weeks of labor, they see the mound is an ancient burial ship, either Viking or Anglo-Saxon, and the British Museum sends academics to take over the digging. Top archaeologist and annoying traditionalist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) assumes control over the dig but two of his academics, a married couple named Peggy Piggott-Preston (Lily James) and Stuart Piggott (Ben Chaplin), are in the midst of a failing relationship. The flaw in the relationship? Stuart is a closeted gay man and who does not like Peggy. Finally, the dig must be completed before the war starts and archaeological missions are halted.
It’s a busy film. There are many stories to be told with only an hour and 52 minutes and none of them are given a chance to fully unfold on screen. If everyone’s important, no one is. There’s plenty of interesting storylines, but not nearly enough space in this picture.
Edith Pretty grapples with her failing health as a single parent.
Edith Pretty grieves the loss of her husband in The Great War and the countless men who will die in the next war.
Basil Brown desperately wishes for public and academic acclaim.
Robert Pretty desires a father figure and emotional support as his mother’s illness worsens.
Johnny Flynn’s enthusiasm to join the Royal Air Force is challenged when the realities of war grow close.
Peggy Preston-Piggott wants to be valued in the patriarchal academic world.
Peggy Preston-Piggott wants to escape her loveless marriage.
Stuart Piggott struggles as a married gay man in denial of his sexuality.
“The Dig” is lovingly made, but the minimalist style gets tangled in the web of storylines. It’s hard to tell if longing looks are the growing bond of romance or camaraderie, or if the stoic English stares are of loathing or professional disagreement. The first half had me worried a grumpy 58-year-old married man was going to romance a 35-year-old widow. Yikes. While quiet moments and subtle storytelling are usually rewarding, it creates more turbulence for the viewer. It’s a pity to spend what should be a tranquil moment with beautiful cinematography completely befuddled.
Despite his fedora and leather satchel, Basil Brown is no Indiana Jones. He isn’t even a good excavator, which is disappointing. After ignoring his employer and choosing a common mound, he digs a narrow slice from the outside in until it collapses on himself. Exciting, but mostly dumb. Now digging on the mound he was paid to excavate, he finds evidence of a burial ship. Despite living in rainy England, he never covers his site in tarps to protect from flash floods – which happens twice while he dramatically hobbles out to save his site. Exciting, but mostly dumb. His primary desire is to gain public and academic praise for his contribution, despite the fact he did not choose the location nor did he make any significant conclusions from the artifacts in the film. Basil doesn’t seem to think things through, this film portrays him as a incompetent but enthusiastic amateur desperate for appreciation. Whether or not the real Basil Brown had a knack for archaeology and an altruistic passion for uncovering English history remains a mystery. This movie won’t tell you.
While biting off more than it can chew, the film has all the ingredients of a moving story; it features talented actors, gorgeous backdrops, artistic editing and striking cinematography. Unfortunately, “The Dig” is drag through the mud I cannot recommend.
“The Dig” can be found on Netflix.
