The Dig

As the trowels and shovels pierce the dirt, and curiosity turns into obsession, it becomes clear that the archaeologists in The Dig are really digging inside themselves.

Striving to make us care about an overlooked and antiquated science, this demure British historical drama finds that the psychological discoveries are just as compelling as the physical ones.

The film unspools a lightly fictionalized account of the obscure Sutton Hoo excavation, which unearthed a massive burial ship adjacent to a Suffolk cemetery in the 1930s.

The mysterious mounds on her estate prompt an ill widow named Edith (Carey Mulligan) to enlist the aid of Basil (Ralph Fiennes), who has made a career out of a passion shaped by fascination for the Earth underneath him.

Although their relationship is technically that of an employer and hired hand, their shared quest makes them feel like partners. Edith’s hunch proves correct when remnants of an Anglo-Saxon vessel begin to appear.

Word spreads slowly, but enough to generate interest from some fellow archaeologists, including married couple Stuart (Ben Chaplin) and Peggy (Lily James), the latter of which takes a passing interest in Edith’s cousin (Johnny Flynn). Basil at first shrugs off the commotion before eventually resenting the presence of outsiders on his turf.

The Dig is deliberately paced, as you might guess from the painstaking nature of the subject matter, and only occasionally conveys the sense of wonder and discovery from the characters to the audience.

Although the narrative momentum is uneven, director Simon Stone (The Daughter) finds sturdier ground in capturing the rural landscapes and visual details in the story.

The screenplay by Moira Buffini (Tamara Drewe), adapted from a John Preston novel, knows the ins and outs of excavating, from the equipment and techniques to the inherent dangers.

As a melancholy character study, the film tends to overdose on sentimentality. Yet both Fiennes and Mulligan bring depth and complexity to their portrayals.

In real life, the Sutton Hoo dig became perhaps the most significant of its kind in England’s history, yielding a treasure trove of medieval artifacts. Thanks in large part to such intriguing source material, the film doesn’t remain stuck in the mud.

Rated PG-13, 112 minutes.