On his inauguration day in 1961, John F. Kennedy asked departing president Dwight D. Eisenhower what gave the Allies their crucial edge over the Nazis on D-Day. His answer? “We had better meteorologists than the Germans.”
This famous exchange is cited during the closing credits of Anthony Maras’ new war film, Pressure, which tells the little-known true story of how chief meteorologist Captain James Stagg advised Eisenhower on the weather forecast that determined the date of D-Day – the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history that changed the course of the war.
The story opens in June 1944 during the tense 72 hours before the Allied invasion of Normandy. Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) is pulled away from his heavily pregnant wife in London and summoned to Eisenhower’s headquarters at Southwick House, a stately home in Hampshire. His task: provide an exact weather forecast for the targeted invasion date of Monday 5 June.
By modern standards, it sounds simple enough – a quick tap on a weather app gives you an hourly breakdown for the week ahead. But back in 1944, long-term forecasting was almost impossible, especially in the volatile skies of Northern Europe.
“I’ll do my best,” says Stagg, a specialist recommended directly by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
“I don’t want your best, I want certainty,” fires back Eisenhower, still haunted by Operation Tiger – a catastrophic D-Day dress rehearsal two months prior that cost over 700 lives. “Don’t let me down.” No prizes for guessing where the film gets its title.
© Alex BaileyWhat follows is 100 minutes of frantic research, rustling maps, and heated debates in smoke-filled rooms as Stagg races to predict whether an incoming storm will derail the operation. He quickly clashes with Irving Krick (Chris Messina), an overconfident American meteorologist who relies on historic climate data and insists the storm will clear in time.
Andrew Scott’s performance alone is enough to tune in for. He is brilliant as the blunt, intense Stagg, physically conveying the crushing weight of thousands of lives on his shoulders. Brendan Fraser is equally magnetic as the formidable Eisenhower, delivering a rousing pre-battle speech that leaves you with goosebumps.
They’re backed by a stellar supporting cast. Kerry Condon brings a welcome warmth and softness as Eisenhower’s secretary, Kay Summersby, while Damian Lewis steals his scenes as the bullish British General Bernard Montgomery, eager to launch the invasion regardless of the skies.
© Focus Features/STUDIOCANALPressure, somehow, manages to make the weather interesting. While the narrative occasionally hits a repetitive rhythm with the back-and-forth between Stagg, Krick and Eisenhower, the tension never wavers.
Stepping away from the battlefield and shining a light on the unsung strategists behind the scenes, Pressure offers a compelling look at the unbearable weight of the decisions that reshaped world history.
Pressure arrives in UK cinemas on 9 September. If you want to watch the film ahead of its release, click the link below.
Book now to see Pressure for free at exclusive HELLO! screenings.
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