Film - The Dig

Watched last night and really enjoyed this gentle film, we visit Suffolk often so will visit next time we are there. I checked online after and was sorry that Robert the young boy died in his 50s as his mother Edith Pretty did.

Oh dear. I found it strangely boring and I'd saved it specially to watch. I loved the house though.

I enjoyed this film. I thought the casting could have been better, Carey Mulligan looked too young for a woman supposed to be in her fifties and with so many competent actresses around why does Lily James have to be in everything? The young boy was very good and Ralph Fiennes was magnificent.

We watched The Dig over the weekend. A very satisfying couple of hours.

Dinahmo

Lovely film and great locations except the mounts and the house weren't filmed at Sutton Hoo. Whilst watching the film we were both thinking that we didn't remember the site as represented on screen, Their location was in Surrey near Shackleford and the house was by CFA Voysey. More interesting than the house at Sutton Hoo (IMO)

I’d guessed Lutyens so nearly right

Lovely film and great locations except the mounts and the house weren't filmed at Sutton Hoo. Whilst watching the film we were both thinking that we didn't remember the site as represented on screen, Their location was in Surrey near Shackleford and the house was by CFA Voysey. More interesting than the house at Sutton Hoo (IMO)

Lots of criticism in the archaeological community, of which I am part, on the casting and portrayal of Peggy Pigott, she was only 2 years her husband's junior and a respected archaeologist based on her own work, quite separately from her more famous (in the archaeological world) husband.

Also the casting of Edith Pretty, who was in her 50s when the mounds at Sutton Hoo were excavated. Otherwise most archaeologists are just pleased to see a film about archaeology that shows it as it is and isn't based on some Indiana Jones style afantasy..

Watched this last night, what a lovely film, Ralph Fiennes was great in character, I remember the first time I saw him was in "The English Patient" a favourite of mine, he's certainly very different in this. As someone said up thread such a shame Basil didn't get the recognition he deserved.

Really made me want to see the Sutton Hoo treasures. I love reading about excavations and discoveries from the past I find everything about how people once lived really interesting. The British Museum is one of my favourite places in London, I could practically live in there if I could! Never enough time to see everything there.

suziewoozie Well, he was an extraordinary man and perhaps it wasn't something that mattered to him. I suppose I'm just basing it on how I would have felt. I think if you have used your expertise - and labour - to achieve something momentous it would be quite natural to want your contribution recognised, especially when others, who have been of less importance, take all the credit.

When I read Tracy Chevalier's book Remarkable Creatures, I felt enraged that Mary Anning did not for a long time get the recognition she deserved re finding fossils, and in some cases re-assembling prehistoric remains. She later became recognised as an authority and there is currently a film about her achievements but the initial response was to keep her out of the picture.

A common theme seems to be that self-taught people from
modest backgrounds were overlooked, even though their achievements were the more remarkable because they often had little formal education or specialist training.

Another one who has just watched and enjoyed. I love films based on true stories. I too had a look on Wikipedia afterwards to find out some more about Edith.

I've been meaning to watch before I cancel our subscription. It goes up this month.

Silly me - glanced at a few comments Don't think they will spoil it for me.

Eloethan I wonder if BB really was upset or infuriated by not getting the recognition he deserved. I think he might have been the sort of man who knew what mattered was that he knew what his contribution was , not what was acknowledged by other, lesser people.

Centenary = certain ?

I thought it was a really beautiful film with lots of subtle depths to it. There’s always some issues when a film is based on a true story as to how much dramatic licence is acceptable and whether or not it detracts from the heart and soul of the film. Sometimes though I do wonder why they felt they had to change centenary details. I remember Red Joan when they changed her real life daughter into a son? Why? I didn’t see what dramatic purpose that served. With this film, I didn’t see why Peggy had to be down graded - again just why? However, I still think it was a lovely film with the relationship between Basil and Mrs Pretty so beautifully portrayed and his innate sense of his own worth and self and true love of archaeology and what discovering the past truly meant.

Nice to watch an engaging calm film without sex and violence and without busy whizzy camera work.

Fabulous, cried through it

I'd been wanting to watch this because I thought my grandchildren might be interested in seeing it, as they have done the Sutton Hoo find at school and my granddaughter came with me to the British Museum to look at the artefacts that were found.

I watched it this evening and really enjoyed it. Ralph Fiennes' Suffolk accent was pretty good - actors generally don't get it quite right. What a shame that Basil Brown was not, at that time, given the credit he deserved. It must have been really infuriating and upsetting for him.

What a great cast - the little boy was so natural - and very atmospheric filming.

A gem of a film.

I enjoyed the film which is only loosely based on John Preston's novel. However, in his author's note, he also says that he made certain changes for dramatic effect.

I liked the Epilogue to the book in which Robert Pretty explains what happened to the various characters afterwards, the later excavations and discovery of body traces. A hook to go off exploring on Wiki.

Margaret Guido (Peggy Piggott) was particularly interesting and accomplished and not just a lightweight appendage to her new husband.

Ralph Fiennes character in it brought ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ to mind.

I loved it and will probably watch it again

Watched it yesterday with all the family ( in our bubble) Since lockdown we have looked for films that we can watch all together including 11 year old grandchildren . This for the bill brilliantly and we all enjoyed it. Lovely film . Was cross though Ralph Fiennes character didn’t get full recognition at the time, only much later

Loved it made a boring Saturday afternoon interesting.

I loved this film and it seems many of us did as I think this is the 3rd thread on the subject!

I must be the only person on GN who wasn’t overwhelmed by the film although it would probablh have been a better experience in the cinema. The romantic sub-plot with Lily Allen was a bit pointless? The back story of Edith Pretty and her involvement with Sutton Hoo proved much more interesting on investigation.She was 56 in real life when all this happened (having had her son at 47 and widowed four years later). She died only a few years after the dig in question took place.
Having said all that, it has inspired me to visit Sutton Hoo!