COVID-19 Special: 'The Dig' (12A)

Director: Simon Stone

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn

Where can I watch?: The Dig is streaming on Netflix

Rating: 4/5

Review: Standing before the Sutton Hoo helmet in the British Museum is a strangely spiritual experience. Believed to have been buried around 625 AD, the helmet represents a level of craftsmanship and sophistication that many believed the Anglo-Saxons to be incapable of; it's also thought to have once sat upon the head of a king. Although Simon Stone's film The Dig doesn't chart the discovery of the helmet, it does dramatise the moment a complete Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered beneath a burial mound on the eve of the Second World War. When Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires unorthodox excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to uncover the secrets buried within her late husband's land, neither could have anticipated what they would unearth. Through each trip to the dig site, Edith and Basil's platonic relationship blossoms, delicately portrayed through excellent performances from both Mulligan and Fiennes. Although neither character is particularly expressive in their affections, the subtly of their growing respect is beautifully realised, as is Basil's connection with Edith's young son, Robert (Archie Barnes). For me, the film is at its strongest when it focuses on the lives of these three individuals - I felt that the shoehorned romance between Lily James and Johnny Flynn's characters was a bit hammy - and it's here where the emotional impact lies. Making the most of Suffolk's sumptuous landscapes, cinematographer Mike Eley allows his camera to rest upon the ghostly forms of ancient trees shrouded in morning mists, the vast expanse of the starry skies above the dig site, and the gently flowing waters of the nearby river, fringed with reeds and bull rushes. Each shot is painterly, precise, and elegantly supports the film's overarching theme of understanding one's place within the world and history.

A COVID-19 Must-Watch?: The Dig is a gentle, delicate film that subtly combines a range of philosophical themes into one easy-to-watch outing. Grounded by two excellent central performances, and focusing on the generosity and kindness of human spirit, it makes for a visually enticing, moving tale.

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