The Dig - Review 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

RALPH Fiennes and Carey Mulligan bring star wattage to this historical drama based on the unearthing of the Sutton Hoo treasures on the eve of the Second World War.

Adapted by screenwriter Moira Buffini from the historical novel by John Preston, The Dig chronicles the real-life discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship by the self-taught working-class archaeologist Basil Brown (Fiennes).

Brown began excavating the site at the request of local landowner and widow Edith Pretty (Mulligan), who had long nursed an instinct that there was something in the mounds on her property.

But once news of the discovery spreads, the small scale operation is usurped by London bigwigs (as epitomised by Ken Stott’s pompous British Museum archaeologist Charles Phillips), who attempt to appropriate the dig for themselves, without crediting Basil.

Buffini and director Simon Stone are careful throughout to ensure that the film gives long overdue credit where it is due (especially since the author, Preston’s aunt Margaret Piggott was involved in the dig), thus making the revelation that Basil’s role was only honoured many years after his death extra poignant come the end of the film.

If anything, The Dig seeks to honour the quiet, often humble nature of Basil’s personality, delivering (for its first half at least) a nicely understated look at the relationship that developed between the sometimes difficult Basil and Pretty.

Fiennes has previously described Buffini’s script as ‘a story of kindred spirits’ that is ‘not clouded by love or romance’ - and this works to the film’s advantage; the relationship between the two sometimes feeling like a father-daughter dynamic, especially as it becomes increasingly apparent that Pretty is seriously ill with a degenerative heart condition.

It also lends extra weight to the beautifully realised friendship between Basil and Pretty’s young son, Robert (Archie Barnes), which finds the former assuming an almost grandfatherly role.

Fiennes imbues Basil with tremendous dignity and loyalty, emerging as both quiet and unassuming as well as fiercely defiant once he senses a wrong. Mulligan, likewise, lends Pretty a steely determination to rise above her frailty, despite being resigned to the knowledge that her illness will eventually prevail. It’s a pain she wears gracefully, which makes its inevitability all the more tragic.

The film is at its best in their company, yet oddly decides to sideline them for long periods during the second half in favour of focusing on the burgeoning romance between Johnny Flynn’s photographer and future RAF pilot and Lily James’ unhappily married excavator.

It’s a creative decision that disrupts the film’s momentum somewhat, despite being nicely played by both Flynn and James, although it does also allow director King to pay lip service to the impending arrival of war and its devastating impact on people’s lives.

It also contributes to the bittersweet nature of the film as a whole, which has an almost stiff upper lip quality about it, befitting British cinema of yesteryear.

Hence, while gentle and unassuming in its own way, and leisurely paced to say the least, The Dig uses its old fashioned values to its advantage and feels more like a film (and a tribute) of the era it represents.

Mike Eley’s cinematography also creates a beautiful sense of landscape, capturing some quintessential British scenery with all of its weather variations (from rain and mist to breathtaking sunrises).

The Dig is therefore a film that rewards on its own quiet terms. It’ll delight Fiennes’ fans, while also restoring credit to an overlooked national treasure.

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 1hr 52mins