WARNING: Spoilers for The Dig.
Netflix film tells the real-life story of the Sutton Hoo burial site that was excavated in Suffolk, England, which is detailed in John Preston's eponymous 2007 novel. While The Dig is indeed based on real events, the characters are fictionalized for the sake of accessible storytelling and to thematically underline the concepts of perseverance and legacy.
Set in 1939, The Dig's storyline precedes Great Britain's entrance into World War II. The narrative begins with Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a widow, hiring an amateur excavator, Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), to research what may lie beneath her property. When a 6th-century Saxon ship is discovered, professional archaeologists are enlisted for the historic project. As the focal dig reveals even more surprises, such as a burial site full of treasure, the Netflix movie incorporates various subplots to explore the perspectives of each main character, and what the future may hold for them as World War II intensifies.
The Dig's final act takes a spiritual turn, as Edith worries about her health and the fate of her young son, Robert (Archie Barnes). She forms a strong friendship with the humble Basil, and together they have deep philosophical conversations about the meaning of life, and what they leave behind after death. With that narrative foundation steadily reinforced via character dialogue, The Dig explores the concept of fate, most notably through a blossoming romance between Edith's cousin, Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn), and a married excavator named Peggy Piggott (Lily James). By the end, Edith's team discovers a treasure that is donated to the British museum, Rory suddenly leaves to serve his country in World War, and Peggy splits from her husband Stuart (Ben Chaplin). The Dig concludes with all the main characters carrying on with their lives, while the epilogue text acknowledges Edith's death, along with how Basil's archaeological work was eventually recognized over time. Here's a full breakdown of The Dig's ending, and what screenwriter Moira Buffini and directer Simon Stone attempt to convey.
The Tragedy Of Peggy & Rory’s Romance
Even though Peggy and Rory's romance is entirely fictional, the tragic subtext will certainly resonate with audiences. The characters share common interests, but they are destined to be apart for two obvious reasons: marriage and war. In of storytelling, The Dig makes Peggy a sympathetic figure because her husband is so painfully unloving and distant; in fact, it's heavily implied Stuart may not even be physically attracted to his wife. Thus, the audience can easily root for a romance between Peggy and Rory because they seem like an ideal match. But just when the characters give in to their feelings, The Dig jolts the audience by revealing that Rory is headed off to war. And he leaves rather quickly, too; a concept so many people can relate to, whether it's family of soldiers or just people who have lost a loved one, suddenly and unexpectedly. In theory, Rory could return home safely, but the subtext in the Netflix movie implies a dark fate. Incidentally, The Dig adds another tragic dimension as Edith hopes Rory will look after her son, Robert, with her fear being Rory won't make it back from the war.
How The Dig's Robert Pretty Symbolizes Hope & Fear During WWII
Robert Pretty may seem like a minor character in Simon's Netflix movie, but he embodies all the hopes and fears of various characters. Through this storytelling advice, the boy is symbolic of what many people felt while living through World War II - at least those who weren't directly involved. Early on, there's a sense of childlike wonder that is steadily conveyed through Robert, whether it's at a movie theater or through commentary while gazing at the cosmos. In real life, Basil was an astronomer, and part of his personality and interest has seemingly rubbed off on Robert. In one particularly heartbreaking scene, Robert breaks down and worries he's failed his mother by not protecting her from sickness, a moment that briefly inverts the parent-child relationship. By steadily underlying Robert's pure interest in the great beyond and then contrasting those scenes with moments of heavy stress, The Dig makes Robert a symbolic figure of the love and fear, hope and terror so many felt as World War II approached, before they completely lost their innocence.
What The Dig's Ending Really Means
In The Dig, a final act moment gets to the heart of the deeper meaning. At the 92-minute mark, Edith worries about her life and legacy during a car conversation with Basil. "We die, and we decay," she says, "We don't live on." Her bleak outlook sets up a moving commentary by Basil about humankind, and how we are all "part of something continuous." This concept was recently touched upon in the ending of the 2020 film 2021 movie is a little more heavy-handed with its messaging. In a slick transition shot, Basil's spiritual dialogue plays over photographs of the Sutton Hoo archaeologists, which are revealed to be photos taken by Rory. In the following sequence, Peggy is astonished to see images her herself making archaeological discoveries, a moment that underscores the concept of legacies both shared and continuous, how one may the torch to another and thus live on. In The Dig, all of the characters work toward a common goal during a specific moment in time, but they are all very much thinking about the past and especially the future and how they might impact it.
What Happened After The Sutton Hoo Dig
The Dig ends by teasing the inevitable separation of numerous characters, evidenced by audio from Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who announces Great Britain's entrance into World War II. A climactic visual shows Peggy and Rory embracing, which could very well be one of their last moments together. As for the real Peggy, she remained married until 1956, and went on to have a six-decade career in archaeology. Stuart also left a long legacy, as he published over 20 books between 1944 and 1970, and then received the BCE (Order of the British Empire) in 1972. The real Edith Pretty died in 1942 after suffering a stroke, three years after the events depicted in The Dig. Robert was subsequently raised by his aunt and lived to be 57 years old. As for Basil Brown, he lived to be 89 years old and inspired a new generation of archeologists through his personal records and writings.
The Dig released in January 2021 on Netflix.
