The Dig Movie Review
An inspiring period piece
By Jude Jordi-Donnelly, film reporter
An inspiring period piece
By Jude Jordi-Donnelly, film reporter
The Dig is a period drama taking place on the eve of Britain’s entrance into World War Two. An excavator, named Basil Brown played by Ralph Fiennes, is hired to investigate mounds on the property of a wealthy landowner named Edith Pretty. Ralph Fiennes is probably my favorite actor; so I would just like to warn you this review will likely contain a little bit of bias.
There's a lot I liked about this film, and that is saying a lot because period dramas don’t tend to be my thing. I usually find this type of film boring and long; however, this film remains captivating from it's very first frame. The story is very easy to follow, and even if you’re not someone who is into archeology, you’ll still find this film entertaining. It certainly benefits from the period in which it's taking place. It's able to capitalize on the angst of a country on the brink of war without it overshadowing the main plot. The film also contains some very good performances, the best of course coming from Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown. Basil Brown is, of himself, a very good character. He is someone you can easily get behind, and someone you want to see succeed which can be taken as praise for the film's writers. If you’ve ever felt passionate about a profession, a hobby, or anything, Basil Brown is someone you can relate to and someone you can grow to like more and more throughout the film's runtime.
Along with Fiennes, Carey Mulligan is also very strong as one of the film's leads, Edith Pretty. While Basil Brown is someone who fully symbolizes hope and passion for the audience, Ms. Pretty is someone that creates the balance between success and struggle. She is, like Basil, a very strong and likeable character, however it's her character that carries the emotional weight of the film. A single mother who you can clearly see just wants the best for her son, but is trying not to let outside influences jeopardize her decisions or her family's future, as well as the future of the excavation.
I do have some problems with the movie. The biggest one being that of a subplot with a couple that join the expedition half way through the movie. It just feels like someone that was added to extend the runtime of the film. It doesn’t hold my interest and instead takes screen time away from Mulligan and Fiennes, who are the best parts of the film. The subplot also gives the film a few too many perspectives. There isn’t exactly a “main character” in the movie because of the added subplots and extra characters who aren’t introduced until about halfway through.
These subplots don't take away from the main focus of the story, however, that being the expedition itself. Everything that has to do with the expedition in this movie is fascinating. It almost makes you want to take a shovel and start digging up your backyard. Other praise I have for the film is it's gorgeous cinematography. The film looks fantastic. It also does a great job of capturing the time period. It's setting and costume design, while pretty simple, does a great job of creating the illusion of Britain during the late 1930s.
While it's not perfect, The Dig benefits off of it's great lead performances from Fiennes and Mulligan, and contains everything you want from a period drama.
The Dig gets an A-
The Dig is a period drama taking place on the eve of Britain’s entrance into World War Two. An excavator, named Basil Brown played by Ralph Fiennes, is hired to investigate mounds on the property of a wealthy landowner named Edith Pretty. Ralph Fiennes is probably my favorite actor; so I would just like to warn you this review will likely contain a little bit of bias.
There's a lot I liked about this film, and that is saying a lot because period dramas don’t tend to be my thing. I usually find this type of film boring and long; however, this film remains captivating from it's very first frame. The story is very easy to follow, and even if you’re not someone who is into archeology, you’ll still find this film entertaining. It certainly benefits from the period in which it's taking place. It's able to capitalize on the angst of a country on the brink of war without it overshadowing the main plot. The film also contains some very good performances, the best of course coming from Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown. Basil Brown is, of himself, a very good character. He is someone you can easily get behind, and someone you want to see succeed which can be taken as praise for the film's writers. If you’ve ever felt passionate about a profession, a hobby, or anything, Basil Brown is someone you can relate to and someone you can grow to like more and more throughout the film's runtime.
Along with Fiennes, Carey Mulligan is also very strong as one of the film's leads, Edith Pretty. While Basil Brown is someone who fully symbolizes hope and passion for the audience, Ms. Pretty is someone that creates the balance between success and struggle. She is, like Basil, a very strong and likeable character, however it's her character that carries the emotional weight of the film. A single mother who you can clearly see just wants the best for her son, but is trying not to let outside influences jeopardize her decisions or her family's future, as well as the future of the excavation.
I do have some problems with the movie. The biggest one being that of a subplot with a couple that join the expedition half way through the movie. It just feels like someone that was added to extend the runtime of the film. It doesn’t hold my interest and instead takes screen time away from Mulligan and Fiennes, who are the best parts of the film. The subplot also gives the film a few too many perspectives. There isn’t exactly a “main character” in the movie because of the added subplots and extra characters who aren’t introduced until about halfway through.
These subplots don't take away from the main focus of the story, however, that being the expedition itself. Everything that has to do with the expedition in this movie is fascinating. It almost makes you want to take a shovel and start digging up your backyard. Other praise I have for the film is it's gorgeous cinematography. The film looks fantastic. It also does a great job of capturing the time period. It's setting and costume design, while pretty simple, does a great job of creating the illusion of Britain during the late 1930s.
While it's not perfect, The Dig benefits off of it's great lead performances from Fiennes and Mulligan, and contains everything you want from a period drama.
The Dig gets an A-