Nothing stays lost forever.|Jan. 14, 2021|UK|112 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Drama;History
Description: In 1939, Suffolk landowner Edith Pretty hires Basil Brown, a self-taught archaeologist and excavator, to investigate the large burial mounds on her rural estate in Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge. Initially offering him the same pay he received from the Ipswich Museum, she increases her offer by 12% to £2 per week (equivalent to £120 in 2020) after he deems the initial wage insufficient. Brown accepts the improved offer.
Despite pressure from his former employers to focus on a Roman villa they consider more significant, Brown insists the mounds could be Anglo-Saxon rather than Viking. With the help of estate assistants, he begins excavating the most promising mound. During the process, a trench collapses on him, but he is rescued in time. Brown grows closer to Edith, a widow, and her son Robert, while neglecting letters from his wife, May. Meanwhile, Edith’s health declines, with her doctor advising her to avoid stress.
Brown’s excavation reveals iron rivets from a ship, indicating the site is likely the burial place of a person of great importance, possibly a king. As news of the discovery spreads, local archaeologist James Reid Moir tries to join the dig but is refused. Instead, Edith brings in her cousin Rory Lomax. Charles Phillips, a Cambridge archaeologist, arrives, declares the site of national importance, and takes control of the excavation under the Office of Works.
As war looms, Phillips assembles a large team, including Peggy Piggott, who confirms the site’s Anglo-Saxon origins. Brown is relegated to maintaining the site until Edith intervenes, allowing him to resume digging. He uncovers a Merovingian Tremissis, a small gold coin from Late Antiquity, leading Phillips to declare the site historically significant. Phillips plans to send the artifacts to the British Museum, but Edith, fearing war raids in London, asserts her ownership rights. An inquest confirms her ownership of the ship and its treasure trove of grave goods, but her health continues to deteriorate.
Cast director: Simon Stone
Cast actor: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott, Archie Barnes, Monica Dolan, Eamon Farren, Paul Ready
Original name: The Dig