Casey’s Reviews
The Dig (2021) — Burying the Lede?
It’s Reviewsday Tuesday! Did Netflix’s The Dig mess up its major message?
I love a good historical drama, and especially ones that are based on real events. Netflix’s 2021 release The Dig had real promise on both those fronts. Shining light on an interesting archaeological find unearthed just as Britain entered the Second World War, The Dig dramatizes some of the challenges that beset the excavators and archaeologists rushing to preserve an Anglo-Saxon boat used as a burial chamber and containing unexpected treasures.
The movie follows the efforts of Basil Brown (played by Ralph Fiennes), a self-taught archaeologist who is repeatedly undermined and underappreciated by both the local museum, who regularly hired him, and the British Museum representatives, who come to take over the dig once it becomes significant. The owner of the land, Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), spends much of the film asking that Mr. Brown be included and his contribution acknowledged. She donates the treasures found at the site to the British Museum with the stipulation that Brown’s name be included in the exhibit as the lead excavator, and publicly thanks him at a reception held at her estate. The core theme of the film is about proper attribution — recognizing the contributions of all…
