While everyone else’s Dry January was free of alcohol, mine was free of content. No reviews. No videos. Just a few tweets. What happened? Well, after a busy Christmas I may’ve overindulged in the surprising amount of free time I received in the first month of the year, however my inactivity, specifically here on Duffhood, was mostly due to a lack of new releases to cover. There were plenty of releases from last month I could’ve looked at (I contemplated reviewing the Train To Busan sequel Peninsula for a while) but I wanted my first post of the new year to be about something from the new year! Whatever it was, big or small, good or bad, I wanted a bookmark for the beginning of 2021.

I initially resisted reviewing The Dig as I assumed I’d have nothing of value to say about it. It’s a period drama, a genre I don’t prefer but with it being readily available on Netflix and failing to find anything else, I felt I had no choice. Fortunately, having watched The Dig, I realize that my assumptions were unfounded as I have quite a bit to say about the film.

Based on John Preston’s novel, The Dig dramatizes the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo led by self-taught archaeologist Basil Brown. Landowner Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to examine three large mounds on her estate. The two are astonished when they discover that one of the mounds contains a 7^th century Anglo-Saxon ship burial. Brown’s discovery draws national attention, including that of some Cambridge archaeologists who question Brown’s involvement in the excavation, all the while war approaches, about to disrupt the dig and everyone taking part.

The Characters

For a film about archaeology that doesn’t involve Mummies, Aliens or supernatural forces, The Dig had me quite engaged most of the time. It does a really good job of getting you to understand the characters’ love for this rather niche subject. For Basil Brown archaeology is a lifelong passion that he studies and practices for the joy of it, hence his status as an amateur archaeologist. He lectures on how archaeology is a search for the only physical bonds we have to our ancestors, who they were and what they left behind. I have little interest in archaeology yet I empathized with Brown and his enthusiasm for the subject. I felt worried and sad for him at certain points in the second act where his position in the dig is threatened. This should go without saying but Fiennes’ performance as Brown is wonderful.

I found Edith Petty to be a little bland at first. The only thing I liked about her was her persistent respect and interest in Mr Brown. An example of this is when she first interviews him and he refuses to work for the minimum wage she offers, moments later she agrees to pay his preferred amount. I liked Edith because she was Mr Brown’s ally, however as the plot progresses, we learn that she is suffering from ill health and has to assess everything in her life, from the excavation on her property to her son’s future.

This is where the film really shines as the three principal characters (Edith, her son and Mr Brown) and what they’re doing dovetail to convey a poignant and rather uplifting theme, which is, contrary to popular belief, everyone is remembered and everyone leaves something behind.

If The Dig centred on this trio of characters I think it would’ve been much better than it is as one of its greatest weaknesses is its unnecessary focus on its supporting characters. Half way through the film, we are introduced to a young archaeologist (Lily James) who, frustrated with her distant and socially awkward husband, develops a secret romance with one of Edith’s cousins. This grows into a full-blown subplot, resulting in long periods where Mr Brown and Edith are totally absent. It feels contrived, adds little to the main plot and bloats the runtime to a long and pointless two hours. Had this subplot been cut out completely, The Dig would’ve been a shorter and stronger film, which I may’ve seen myself watching again.

For a single viewing The Dig has a lot to offer with three great characters and an engaging dramatization of the otherwise boring act of archaeological excavation. The romantic subplot lets it down a lot hence it’s unlikely you’ll want to watch it again. For the first new watch of 2021, The Dig isn’t a bad choice. Its optimistic view of time and posterity is perhaps something we need after surviving 2020. I’d recommend it.

I give The Dig a decent 6 out of 10.