‘I’ ON CULTURE
The movie Pressure is a pleasant surprise. For people, like me, who love history, it is an ideal movie — one that makes us think and recognize how easy it could be for small things to change history. It takes place over a few days in 1944 as Allied troops gathered in England to begin the invasion of Europe at Normandy. Of course, we know that things worked out. But most people are not aware of how close we came to calling the whole thing off.
As a huge army gathered, the Supreme Command spent countless hours creating all sorts of diversions. An amphibious assault, going against an enemy that has been warned, will be devastating and thrown back right on the beach. A rehearsal called Operation Tiger was a disaster, with 700 men dead. And Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) had to make the key decision whether to go on June 5, 1944.
The key element was the weather. The top British meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott) was very concerned about the possibility, the strong possibility, of major storms disrupting the fleet that would be headed across the English Channel. The top American meteorologist Irving Krick (Chris Messina) had made accurate predictions that had carried troops under Eisenhower all through North Africa. He was convinced that, based on previous patterns, there would be no real problem.
What made the stakes so high were the tides. The tides would only allow an invasion on the fifth, or perhaps a day or two before or after. If not, they would have to wait until June 18, and the chances of keeping the location of the invasion secret were dismal. The generals, particularly Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), were certain they would have no issues.
Everything hinged on a correct decision, and the two meteorologists kept arguing while Eisenhower glowered. His assistant Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon), worked to attempt a compromise, not helped by Stagg, who was not only being a grump, but also facing pressure because his wife, about to give birth, was in a place being bombed by the Germans, and he had no idea what happened to her.
In the end, of course, a decision was made, and it did work. As someone who is a student of World War II, thanks to a brilliant college professor — thank you, Samuel Eliot Morison! — I can attest to the accuracy of the historical events and to the fact of the real argument between the men. That is one of the things that makes the film so special. The only real detail wrong was that Stagg’s wife was only about four months pregnant. But the rest, the real grit of the story, is real.
The acting is exceptional. Scott, in a really difficult role, a man torn by emotions who keeps most of his feelings to himself, lets his eyes express his pain and pressure as things seem to turn on his decision. The real Stagg, who spent years working on weather conditions in the arctic, was a prickly soul. Messina is a good foil as the more outgoing Krick, a man who despite past successes seemed to be pushed aside for most of the action. Condon as Kay Summersby was quite good as the meteorological mediator, as well as the person Eisenhower seemed mostly likely to listen to.
But the central acting part was Fraser’s. Eisenhower was the key to the success, and the actor was able to focus on the stress on the man. With victory, he would be a hero the rest of his life. In defeat, he could kill tens of thousands of his own people. His agony and indecision are painful. And Fraser brought it all out. Even knowing what happened, I suffered with him.
A movie like this reminds all of us how difficult so many decisions can be. As we watch the news shows or crunch through the Internet, it seems easy to slough off the difficulties faced by many leaders in terms of making choices that affect us. Small mistakes at the top or near top can create real misery for those who will live with the decisions.
This film presents those kinds of issues starkly and with enormous power. If you are a history buff, this is one to see. If not, wait until the small screen. But, if possible, see it.
