In 1939, Basil Brown – a man who dedicated his life to archaeology – discovered what has been called one of “the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.” This emotional real life story of determination and partnership has recently landed on Netflix and has been in the UK top 10 ever since.
The Dig is a period piece which has been given a warm 88% rating by Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, both effortlessly slipping into the roles of real life Edith Pretty and Basil Brown. It is not the first time we have seen the pair in period pieces. Mulligan has previously starred in adaptations of The Great Gatsby and Far from the Madding Crowd, whilst Fiennes has been known for his roles in Schindler’s List and The English Patient. I really think the pair are made for period pieces.
“Each piece of clothing was a statement within itself.”
From the get go, Mike Eley’s use of cinematography was remarkable, truly placing us in the midst of the English countryside pre-World War Two. The vast shots of Mulligan strolling through the fields to shots of Fiennes simply riding his bike; each piece thought out as carefully as the other. This paired with Alice Babidge’s fabulous costume design certainly worked well in telling this inspiring true story. Each piece of clothing was a statement within itself. Mulligan’s wardrobe in particular was portraying its own narrative, from plain outdoor country wear to expensive high-class evening dresses which Mulligan wears as though she lived in that period of time.
Alongside this, Stefan Gregory’s music truly fit the piece. Each note helped to set the tone and narrate the story from scenes of pain to scenes of pure joy. Just simply wonderful.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We are first introduced to Brown cycling to take a look at the piece of land Pretty would like excavating. Pretty is a widow, raising her son Robert (who is the most inquisitive little boy). Essentially, Pretty has a gut feeling that the mounds on parts of her land are covering something historical and Brown agrees.
“Over the course of the film their trust thickens.”
We begin to see a bond form between the pair, what with their shared interest in archaeology and Brown acting as a father figure to Robert. Over the course of the film their trust thickens as Pretty continuously favours Brown over the competing museum owners, even Ipswich Museum who sent Brown to take a look at the mounds.
It is clear that Pretty is lonely. Although she has a maid and other fellows that work for her, she is clearly alone. Her story is rather tragic in my opinion. She has lost her husband recently fallen ill. It is quite harrowing to see how little Robert reacts when discovering she is still unwell but towards the end of the film, the tale he tells his mother whilst laying under the stars is really moving.
As the vulture-like museum representatives steal the lime-light from Brown, we are introduced to married couple Peggy and Stuart Piggott (Lily James and Ben Chaplin). The pair are clearly unhappy and it soon becomes clear why. But fear not, the pair settle their differences, following where their hearts lie. A very nice touch to the story seeing, behind the joys of unmasking a ship and treasure, interactions between James, Chaplin, and co-stars Johnny Flynn and Eamon Farren.
“He was never truly given credit for his work.”
Though a slow burner, this period drama manages to pull at your heart-strings. I think if it weren’t for little Robert’s touching performance I wouldn’t have shed a tear. His endearing performance was remarkable and makes the film even more heart-warming.
This piece is very important for the UK’s national heritage and Ralph Fiennes describes Brown to have been an “extraordinary figure“. After having watched The Dig, I certainly agree. Brown dedicated his life to archaeology, a skill his own father taught him. He was never truly given credit for his work at Suffolk until recently. In that respect, The Dig has respectably shone a light on the works of Basil Brown.
The location is now under the care of The National Trust and I would certainly like to pay a visit!
The Dig was released on Netflix on the 29th January 2021.
Jen Charlton
Image courtesy of Thibault Penin on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Jen Charlton
Hey! I am a 20 year old student in my final year studying media production: journalism at York St. John University. I am currently working towards being a BJTC accredited entertainment writer.