Secretary of state for the treasury, Scott Bessent, recently declared that the US is readying a comprehensive package of sanctions targeting Iran that in size and scale amounted to an “economic D-day”. Although a problematic analogy that does disservice to the memory of those Allied soldiers who landed in Normandy, Bessent’s choice of words does at least make clear that the events of June 6 1944 continue to have purchase in contemporary culture.
For the makers of Pressure, this is no doubt reassuring. Directed by Anthony Maras and cowritten with David Haig, the film revisits the well-known story of D-day but with a novel focus: the meteorologists who helped the generals make the decision on when exactly to land. It is beautifully shot and often engaging but flawed in key details and loses its way towards the end.
Pressure is an adaptation of Haig’s successful 2014 play of the same name. At its centre is the story of Group Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott). Stagg was the RAF meteorologist responsible for the weather reports that helped the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser), prepare for the invasion of France.
Eisenhower’s plan had several specific requirements deemed essential to success. These included a full moon, a low (but rising) tide, and calm seas. Accurate weather reports were an operational necessity. This was especially the case given the famously turbulent nature of the waters between Britain and France.
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