The Dig and an eternal eye turns towards to the present

This is a film-still that came after the credits for the film THE DIG which came out a few short years ago. I saw it twice because I have always had a crush on Cary Mulligan but also because I loved the story and it's a practical way to spend time in rural 19th century Britain without having to use a Time Machine.

Viewing films by streaming services (this was seen on Netflix) seems to erase the age-old movie theatre habit of watching screen credits slowly unfurl at the end of a film. An old friend joined me for a film a few years back at the theatre in Byron. I was surprised to find out that he insisted on staying for the entire roll out of the screen credits to the very end. I remained in my seat too, of course, but I found it a little vexing to sit through it after feeling ambivalent about the film. He felt the same way but that didn't stop him from dutifully watching it till the end. The film was American Sniper, and it provoked a great, almost visceral argument between us on the drive home. It brought out old differing dialogues about war we've had over decades. 

But hey, this anecdote has nothing to do with The Dig. I only bring it up to explain how I discovered it after the end of the film. I managed to see this still video on the second viewing because I had left the credits rolling as I brushed my teeth before going to bed. My curiosity was piqued; what does it mean?

The camera was set high up above the last scene of the film showing a small table placed in the middle of the now excavated wooden ship buried in the 5th century. The camera slowly recedes further and further away to reveal an eye as seen above, the table becomes the iris which I found to be a wonderful visual idea. But again, what was the meaning?

The iris is bright blue and is situated in the middle of an almond shaped eye evoking a place maybe further afield than Britain,,, Mesopotamia? To me, the eye looks sad, a bit forlorn, perhaps a knowing look of wisdom as if Eternity itself was now awake and checking into to see what is going on in this present moment. 

I can imagine that Eternity would indeed be forlorn if it got a glimpse of what Man has gotten up to over these past millennia. Ouuuuf, as they say in France,,,, It's not a pretty sight despite so many creative marvels made everywhere around the world. This greatness is offset a hundred times over by the fact that there have been too many Donald Trumps and Vladimir Putains reigning over the rest of us disposable mortals.

Eternity cannot not turn a blind eye to this terrible fact that many awful men (and a few awful women, maybe) seek to destroy all that is good and creative on this mother earth.