Movie Reviews: The Dig
Netflix’s latest cinematic triumph The Dig combines all the things that I like to see on my screen: history, archeology, and all things Anglo Saxon or Viking. So, as you can probably imagine, when I saw this film pop up on my Netflix account, I knew immediately that I had to watch it.
The Sutton Hoo site has long been a source of fascination for me. I learned about it for the first time in an English literature class in college, and it has been connected in my mind with the fantastical tales of Beowulf and the doleful poem “Wulf and Eadwacer”ever since. In case you don’t know, Sutton Hoo is an archeological site in Britain that includes several Anglo-Saxon burial sites. In 1938, as World War II loomed on the horizon, one of the burial mounds was excavated, and the remains of a ship burial were discovered. Archeologists discovered the impression of a ship, the remains of a helmet and shield, as well as pieces of jewelry, bowls, and spoons.
The Dig tells the story of the first formal excavation of Sutton Hoo. It follows Edith Pretty, the landowner, and her son Robert as well as Basil Brown, the excavator that she hired to explore the site. The movie also covers their personal lives, touching on death, sickness, and loss. The overarching theme of the film is legacy and the thread that binds humans to their past and to history.
I want to start off by saying that this movie was a WORK OF ART. It so so beautiful, so well-executed, and so well-acted that I teared up at certain parts. Everyone in this movie clearly gave it their all, and it shows.
That being said, this movie was so BRITISH. I mean, so very inescapably British.
Don’t get me a wrong, that’s not a bad thing. It’s just that, as an American, I get the feeling that I’m missing a thing or two. There were so many moments in this movie that caused me to be like “why didn’t these characters just talk about this” or “what does that expression mean?” For example, when Basil burst into the house to talk to Mrs. Pretty, I couldn’t understand why she didn’t just say “I’m feeling under the weather at the moment, can we please discuss this later?” Instead, there’s all this secrecy and drama and suppressed feelings. Just communicate openly and tell people what’s going on; it’s not that hard. But, maybe those are my American sensibilities talking.
Anyway, the American in my heart just wants everyone to be very upfront and straight forward about everything. All of these significant glances and lingering shots of strange facial expressions don’t compute!
However, I don’t think that impacts the quality of the movie. It was still fantastic, it just wasn’t the movie I expected it to be, and that’s not a bad thing. It gave me an experience I didn’t expect!
So, if you like archeology and good acting, I highly recommend this film.
Rating: 9/10
Originally published at https://fantastical-musings.blogspot.com on February 16, 2021.
