BASIL BROWN, played in
The Dig by Ralph Fiennes, was the principal archaeologist behind the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. It is now considered one of the most important finds in Britain, the majesty of its 27-metre burial ship and 7th-century Anglo-Saxon treasures reframing historians’ view of the so-called Dark Ages.
However, it was very nearly missed – and Brown wasn’t always acknowledged for his efforts. He was a self-educated archaeologist and astronomer, who spent much of his income as a tenant farmer and insurance agent on that education. Being an independent scholar without an academic post was an irregularity that led to the omission of his name at the British Museum’s display of the Sutton Hoo treasures for decades.
Wasn t there an actor of the correct age? Netflix is slammed for casting Carey Mulligan, 35, as a 56-year-old in The Dig – as fans claim ‘women over 40 are invisible’ to movie makers
The Dig is based on John Preston s 2007 novel about the unearthing of the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo in 1939
Screen star Carey, 35, plays 56-year-old landowner Edith Pretty - a role originally intended for Nicole Kidman, 53 - in the movie
Viewers took to Twitter to question the network s decision, with one claiming: women over 40 are still invisible in the culture
Director Simon Stone has previously defended the thespian s portrayal of Edith, who passed away aged 59 after suffering a stroke in 1942
The restored iron helmet is perhaps the most recognisable face of the Anglo-Saxon period
“These people were not just marauding barbarians. They had culture! They had art!” So exalts Cambridge archeologist Charles Phillips, as he contemplates the treasure trove his team has just unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon burial mound at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk.
This is a scene from The Dig – Australian director Simon Stone’s faithful fictionalisation of one of the most famous excavations in British history, out on Netflix now – and it goes some way to encapsulating the significance of the discoveries for the history of art and culture in this country. In the summer of 1939, a self-taught local archaeologist called Basil Brown (played with exquisitely sensitive surliness by Ralph Fiennes in the film) brushed back the earth to reveal the shape of an early seventh-century ship, and concealed within it, a burial chamber full of the most extraordinary artifacts.
This is why Netflix s new film The Dig is facing a backlash
The film stars Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes
Netflix s latest original film
The Dig landed on the streamer just a few days ago (29 January) but already the long-awaited movie is facing backlash for the decision to cast 35-year-old Carey Mulligan as a 56-year-old woman.
The Dig, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, follows the a wealthy widow named Edith Pretty (Mulligan) who hires an amateur archeologist named Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), to excavate the burial mounds on her East Anglian estate. The film is a retelling of the most famous archaeological dig in Britain of modern times: the 1939 discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo, known as Britain s Tutankhamun .
The Dig Review: Why the Treasure Hunt Drama Should Be on Your Watch List
Netflix welcomed The Dig on its catalog of films, and it quickly became a big hit among fans and critics.
The Simon Stone-directed film is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston. It tells the story of a group of excavators and what happened to them during the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo.
The treasure hunt drama features Carey Mulligan (Edith Pretty), Ralph Fiennes (Basil Brown), Lily James (Peggy Piggott), Johnny Flynn (Rory Lomax), Ben Chaplin (Stuart Piggott), Ken Stott (Charles Phillips), Archie Barnes (Robert Pretty) and Monica Dolan (May Brown).