It is directed by Simon Stone with a distinctly British tone of restraint worthy of film producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, who made the 1990s hits Howards End and The Remains of the Day. The Dig, based on the novel of the same name by John Preston, rights that wrong. Being an independent scholar without an academic post was an irregularity that led to the omission of his name at the British Museum’s display of the Sutton Hoo treasures for decades. He was a self-educated archaeologist and astronomer, who spent much of his income as a tenant farmer and insurance agent on that education. However, it was very nearly missed – and Brown wasn’t always acknowledged for his efforts. It is now considered one of the most important finds in Britain, the majesty of its 27-metre burial ship and 7th-century Anglo-Saxon treasures reframing historians’ view of the so-called Dark Ages. Whenever women are thrust into a main role, the world sits up in shock.BASIL BROWN, played in The Dig by Ralph Fiennes, was the principal archaeologist behind the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. Popular shows can’t resist peddling outdated, sexist clichés. Isn't it utterly exhausting that in 2021 we are still seeing women sidelined and stereotyped on screen, destined for ever to play second fiddle to a male hero?Īnd not just in movies about men, but in films like The Dig that really should be about women.ĭo directors think we’ll switch off if faced with the “horrifying truth” of a strong, successful woman like Peggy Piggott?

Comment: 'Tired stereotypes so exhausting' The case has since been settled amicably. Her lawyer said it wrongly depicted the marriage as a “sham”. Renate sued Sir Elton for £3m, disputing scenes about their wedding day and showing them sleeping in separate bedrooms. Sir Elton John and ex-wife Renate Blauel became embroiled in a legal dispute over his autobiography and biopic Rocketman, which chronicles the star’s career and struggles coming out as gay.

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