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It may seem unexciting to watch a movie about an archaeological dig that isnât âIndiana Jones.â Yet, with the truly incredible names on the cast list for âThe Digâ â Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan, and Lily James to name a few â and a story thatâs heartwarming and insightful, âThe Digâ manages to turn seemingly bland subject matter into a compelling narrative.
The film, which is based on a true story, follows an archaeological dig taking place in the backyard of a dying widow, led by an excavator never properly trained in archeology joined by a rag-tag mix of friends and museum curators. With inspiring performances, âThe Digâ manages to be a heartwarming and exciting film. Without ever going over the top with theatrics and excitement, it draws the gaze of its audience to every little detail. The well-mannered, pre-WWII English dialogue is thoughtfully accompanied by a swooning musical arrangement, all building toward the cre
The Dig on Netflix is based on the novel of the same name by John Preston.
As WWII looms, a wealthy widow hires an amateur archaeologist 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 it s uncertain future.
The film approaches archaeology with a new level of subtlety and accuracy.
Edith Pretty was convinced that the mounds on her land in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, held important archaeological secrets. In 1939, on the eve of the second world war, she was proven right as the sumptuous ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king was uncovered. For a nation on the brink of war and facing its own dark age , the
How Netflix s The Dig explores the subtlety of archeological study, of probing memory and the past The Dig reminds us that the role of archaeology is not in treasure-seeking, but in reflecting on our complex relationship to the past, and how and why we value it. The Conversation February 06, 2021 13:25:13 IST Netflix s The Dig recounts the tale of the excavation of a ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king.
By Roberta Gilchrist
Edith Pretty was convinced that the mounds on her land in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, held important archaeological secrets. In 1939, on the eve of the second world war, she was proven right as the sumptuous ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king was uncovered. For a nation on the brink of war and facing its own dark age, the Sutton Hoo ship burial was a source of pride and inspiration, equivalent to the tomb of Tutankhamun.
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.