The Dig is a 2021 British drama film directed by Simon Stone. It is based on the 2007 historical novel with the same name by John Preston, which recreates the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. The film features actors Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, Archie Barnes, and Monica Dolan.
The movie was released in a few theaters on January 14, 2021, and later became available to stream on Netflix on January 29, 2021. Critics gave the film positive reviews, and it received five nominations for the British Academy Film Awards, including for Outstanding British Film.
Plot
In 1939, Edith Pretty, a landowner in Suffolk, hired Basil Brown, a local self-taught archaeologist, to investigate large burial mounds on her estate near Woodbridge. Initially, she offered him the same wage he earned from the Ipswich Museum, which was typical for agricultural work. He said this amount was too low, so she raised her offer by 12% to £2 per week (about £120 in 2020). He accepted this new payment.
Basil’s former employers tried to convince him to work on a Roman villa they considered more important. However, they ignored his suggestion that the mounds might be from the Anglo-Saxon period, not the Viking era, as he had left school at age 12.
With help from assistants from Edith’s estate, Basil carefully excavated one of the mounds. One day, the trench collapsed on him, but he was rescued in time. He spent more time with Edith, a widow, and her son Robert, sharing interests in archaeology and astronomy. Basil’s wife, May, supported his work despite the low pay. Edith struggled with poor health, as her doctor warned her to avoid stress.
Basil was surprised to find iron rivets from a ship, indicating the site might belong to a person of great importance, like a king. A local archaeologist, James Reid Moir, tried to join the dig but was refused. Instead, Edith hired her cousin, Rory Lomax, to help. Word of the discovery spread, and Charles Phillips, an archaeologist from Cambridge, arrived. He declared the site nationally important and took charge of the dig under the Office of Works.
As World War II approached, Phillips brought a team, including Stuart Piggott and his wife, Peggy. Peggy found evidence proving the site was Anglo-Saxon. Basil was later assigned only to maintain the site, but Edith intervened, allowing him to continue digging. Basil discovered a Merovingian Tremissis, a small gold coin from the Late Antiquity period. Phillips declared the site historically significant. Phillips wanted to send the artifacts to the British Museum, but Edith, worried about air raids in London, claimed ownership of the ship and its treasures. A legal decision confirmed her rights, but her health worsened.
Peggy, neglected by her husband, became close to Rory, who was later called to serve in the Royal Air Force. Peggy ended her marriage and had a relationship with Rory before he left. Edith decided to donate the Sutton Hoo treasure to the British Museum, asking that Basil receive recognition for his work. The film ends with Basil and his team covering the ship with soil to protect it.
As the credits roll, text explains what happened to Edith and the artifacts. The treasure was hidden in the London Underground during the war and first displayed nine years after Edith’s death, without mentioning Basil Brown. Only later was Basil fully credited for his role, and his name now appears alongside Edith’s at the British Museum.
Production
The project started in 2006 when producer Ellie Wood read the book The Dig by John Preston before it was published in 2007. She bought the rights to turn the novel into a movie. In September 2018, it was announced that Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes were discussing joining the film. However, by August 2019, Kidman could not continue because her schedule conflicted with another movie. Carey Mulligan was chosen to take her place. The film rights were also transferred from BBC Films to Netflix. Lily James began discussions about joining the cast in September 2019. In October 2019, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, and Monica Dolan joined the film’s cast.
Principal photography began in October 2019 at Shackleford in Surrey, where Norney Grange was used as a substitute for Pretty’s house at Sutton Hoo. Additional filming took place in Suffolk, near the original discovery site of the Sutton Hoo artifacts. The film’s team did research at the British Museum’s Sutton Hoo archive and gallery. Underwater scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios.
Release
The film was first shown in some theaters on January 15, 2021. Netflix made the film available for streaming on January 29, 2021. During its first weekend on streaming, the film was the third most watched title. It was seventh in popularity during the next two weekends.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes states that 88% of 153 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.20 out of 10. The site’s critics consensus says, "The film features well-matched performances by Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, set against beautifully filmed scenes of the English countryside. The Dig offers valuable moments from the period drama genre." According to Metacritic, which collected reviews from 35 critics and calculated an average score of 73 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable" reviews.
Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film five out of five stars and called it a "serious, intellectually focused, and emotionally powerful film. A must-see." Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B− and wrote, "although the film has grand, romantic ideas, watching The Dig feels similar to sitting at a bus stop."
Will Gompertz of BBC News gave the film four out of five stars, writing that "it is a very enjoyable film made with care and sensitivity. It is a refreshing experience during difficult times. While it does not have the emotional or intellectual strength to be considered a classic, I would watch it again." In a more mixed review, Mark Kermode of The Guardian gave the film three out of five stars, writing that "it is a sad but hopeful story about shared goals, new friendships, and the lasting influence of the past. It is sometimes slowed by an unnecessary romantic storyline, but the film’s beautiful cinematography by Mike Eley helps improve it."
On February 4, 2021, the film was nominated for nine BAFTA awards, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Director, Leading Actor, Cinematography, and Adapted Screenplay. The nominations were announced on March 9, 2021. At the awards ceremony on April 10 and 11, the film did not win any of the categories it was nominated for.
Historical accuracy
Mark Bridge of The Times said that archaeologists disagreed with the film's portrayal of Peggy Piggott as inexperienced and hired only because her light weight would not harm the delicate site. By 1939, Peggy Piggott was already an experienced archaeologist who had studied archaeology at the University of Cambridge and the University of London. The film showed her as married to an older, more experienced male archaeologist, but in reality, Stuart Piggott was only two years older than her (27 and 29, respectively), and they met while both were students. The film’s portrayal of their marriage was described as “staggeringly slanderous.” In fact, they did not divorce until 1956.
The ages of other characters in the film were also changed from their real-life counterparts. Charles Phillips, who was in his late 30s during the dig, was played by Ken Stott, who was in his 60s, and shown as an elderly, grumpy man. Landowner Edith Pretty, who was in her mid-50s, was first planned to be played by 53-year-old Nicole Kidman, but the role was later given to Carey Mulligan, who was in her mid-30s at the time.
Bridge also criticized the film for adding a fictional character named Rory Lomax as a love interest for Peggy Piggott. In reality, Rory Lomax was not a real person. The film’s creators included this character to create a romantic subplot, even though real people who took photographs of the site—Mercie Lack, Barbara Wagstaff, and O.G.S. Crawford—were not included in the story.