Movie Review: Pressure – the Weather Before D-Day

Pressure Movie Poster. Image: Pressure

Movie Review: Pressure – the Weather Before D-Day

“The eyes of the world are upon you.” – General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Order of the Day” to the Allied Expeditionary Force on D-Day

It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The Allied Expeditionary Forces, commanded by General Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, had assembled an armada to invade the Normandy coast of France and liberate Europe from the Nazis. It consisted of:

• 5,000 vessels, 7,000 ships, and landing craft
• 156,000 to 160,000 Allied troops
• 195,000 naval personnel from eight Allied nations
• 1,200-plane airborne assault

Yanks, Brits, and Canadians were to participate in an airborne assault.

But 72 hours before the scheduled invasion, there remained one imponderable…

“The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” – Ike, D-Day

Ike needed a forecast. The man chosen to be Chief Meteorologist for the D-Day invasion was 43-year-old British Group Captain James Stagg.

In a little-told story from World War II, Dr. Stagg was a meteorologist for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves, brought in for his expertise in Northern European weather.

Pressure: The Film

From the producers of the 2017 seminal Winston Churchill film Darkest Hour, David Haig wrote and directed this movie, based on his 2014 stage play. The film grabs you from the first scene and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Was it dramatic? It is smart, intense, edge-of-your-seat stressful, and entirely captivating.

Stagg presents to Ike’s General Staff

The assembled General Staff, led by Eisenhower, needs to know if the weather will be favorable for the scheduled secret invasion of Normandy. Decoys have been situated elsewhere as a feint. Fake paratroopers are ready to be dropped deep into enemy territory. Fake camps were set up to create the illusion that troops were amassed elsewhere.

The day and time scheduled for June 5, 1944, were selected for the optimal spring tides for the sea assault and a full moon, allowing the paratroopers to land at night. These conditions exist for only a few days each month. Everything was ready, and ships were already in position in the English Channel. Meanwhile, the German Luftwaffe meteorological center in Paris was predicting two weeks of stormy weather, many Wehrmacht commanders left their posts to attend war games in Rennes, and men in many units were given leave. Even German Commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel returned to Germany for his wife’s birthday and to meet with Hitler to try to obtain more Panzers.

Any delay in the Allies’ invasion would be difficult to keep secret from the Germans.

But Exercise Tiger, a practice run for D-Day, staged in April in Devon, was disastrous and ended with at least 749 American fatalities. 72 hours before the assault, Doctor Stagg, a Scottish meteorologist, is brought in to forecast the weather for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF).

Called a “genius”, seven years earlier he had already been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work as a senior technical officer with the Air Ministry’s Meteorological Office.

He declares that the scheduled date will bring low cloud cover for the planes carrying paratroopers, high seas that will swamp the landing craft, and limited visibility for navigation and air cover.

But how does he convince the General Staff, especially Eisenhower, to change the date of the invasion?

Pressure: The Players

“I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle.” – Ike, D-Day

Pressure

Brendan Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower

Oscar-winning actor (The Whale), Brendan Fraser, was a curious choice to play Ike:

Brendan Fraser

• Dwight Eisenhower was 5 feet 10 1/2 inches tall and 172 lbs.
• Brendan Fraser is 6 feet 3 inches tall and 209 lbs.

With his deep resonant voice, though, he doesn’t particularly sound like Ike.

Nevertheless, Fraser sports a comb-over for the role and has the gravitas and presence to pull it off.

Andrew Scott as Group Captain James Stagg

Andrew Scott

The Irish actor Andrew Scott pulls off a Scottish accent for the role of Stagg, though it’s not always noticeable.

You have seen him in lots of other films and TV roles, including the BBC TV series Sherlock, where he plays the smarmy and supremely irritating Jim Moriarty.

None of that smarminess is witnessed in this role. Stagg is an intelligent, ordered, dour officer. He has to stubbornly stand up to the manipulative Monty, the smug and persuasive yet “lucky” senior US Army Air Force meteorologist officer Krick, Ike, and the rest of the intimidating General Staff.

Damian Lewis as British General Bernard “Monty” Montgomery.

Damian Lewis

The popular British actor Damian Lewis plays “Monty,” Ike’s rival, in the film. Monty had served in World War I, the Irish War of Independence, and extensively in World War II. Renowned for being outspoken and bellicose, he was nearly expelled as a student at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, for rowdiness and violence. But by the eve of D-Day, he had already served as an officer for 34 years.

Ironically, Damian Lewis was selected for this role. He also played Captain Richard Winters in the popular HBO TV series Band of Brothers, in which he leads his men in parachuting into Normandy on D-Day.

Kerry Condon as Lt. Kay Summersby

Kerry Condon

The Oscar-nominated Irish actress Kerry Condon is the very heart of the film. As Ike’s private secretary, she is professional, efficient, and compassionate to both Ike and Stagg. You may recognize her from the recent Brad Pitt movie F1, or as the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y., Tony Stark’s AI in the later Avengers films.

Conclusion

Did Ike decide to proceed with the scheduled invasion on June 5, 1944, or the next logical date of June 18? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out. I won’t spoil it for you. But if you know your history, you’ll know when we celebrate the anniversary of D-Day.

Grade: B+

You’ll like it if: you love WWII history, and quality acting is your cup of tea
You won’t like it if: you prefer war movies with more action, explosions, and violence

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com