Andrew Scott Stars in World War II Drama Pressure About D-Day Forecasting

Group Captain James Stagg and the Weather Battle of Normandy

When Pressure brings World War II strategy to the screen, it bypasses traditional battlefield heroics to examine the clash of personalities determining the D-Day forecast. Adapted from David Haig’s 2014 stage play of the same name, the drama places Andrew Scott in the role of Group Captain James Stagg, a Scottish Royal Air Force meteorologist assigned to aid American ally General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Brendan Fraser portrays Eisenhower as he prepares to launch the biggest seaborne invasion in history amidst a remote country estate filled with United States and United Kingdom military personnel.

The narrative opens in 1944 following the disastrous test run known as Operation Tiger. Before the Allies carried out the biggest seaborne invasion in history, this test run failed miserably, leaving a boyish young man in uniform staring blankly into the sky as blood washed around his prone body while the tide came in. Up and down the beach, survivors scrambled to aid whatever soldiers could be saved while Eisenhower looked on, stricken and cursing under his breath. Director Anthony Maras, who adapted the screenplay with playwright David Haig, established the life-or-death stakes of planning an invasion with that brief yet brutal scene.

Six weeks after that fatal failure, Eisenhower is in a remote country estate with U.S. and UK military all planning to launch D-Day in 72 hours. The fatal failure of Operation Tiger hangs over him as he is barked at by a brash British field marshal (Damian Lewis), cajoled by his Irish aide, Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon), or placated by the American’s lead meteorologist, Irving Krick (Chris Messina). While the energy of these allies ranges from stern to abrasive, patient to bombastic, they are all pushing for D-Day to launch on Monday morning. Then, on a Friday arrives Stagg, who warns major storms could sink D-Day out the gate.

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Stagg is introduced in his home in the midst of a cozy morning ritual, preparing breakfast for his very pregnant wife (Tamsin Topolski) and gently assuring her he has time for this bit of intimacy. No sooner does he reach the estate than he is making curt commands, pointing out errors in his men’s work, dismissing the directives of another meteorologist, and looking visibly vexed to discover Summersby in his office. Stagg is not here to make friends; he is on a mission.

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Stagg cuts an austere, uncompromising figure within the military command structure. Discussing the role with BBC Culture correspondent David Sillito, Scott noted that his character stands apart from traditional cinematic combat figures.

“I really enjoyed the way that Stagg was not interested in ingratiating himself with anybody,”

Andrew Scott

The actor described him as a real fish out of water in this situation and observed that Stagg wasn't a particularly garrulous character. The actor noted that Stagg’s quiet determination reflects real life, adding that so many of the heroes in our own lives don't have that big swashbuckling moment and emphasizing that a hero comes in all different shapes and sizes. Scott also shared his approach to the character: I tried not to be afraid of the fact that perhaps, at the beginning, the audience might be like, 'Who is this guy?' And hopefully by the end we understand his motivations and his inner workings.

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Clashing Personalities and Competency in Command

The film’s dramatic tension relies heavily on the friction between Stagg’s blunt Scottish pragmatism and Krick’s suave, crowd-pleasing optimism. Krick is Stagg’s foil, a suave American who literally performs a lively song and dance (Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy) to amuse his troops. By contrast, Stagg demands the piano be taken away, and literally hits a bad note when slamming its cover closed. Where others swoon over Krick’s easy-going attitude, name-dropping stories, and retellings of professional glory, Stagg simply stares, seeming to resent the wasting of time.

Later, when arguing against Krick’s proposed forecast of beautiful sunny weather, Stagg flatly calls the man “moronic.” When Krick complains that Stagg is insulting him to his face, Stagg responds sharply:

“I’m not insulting you. I’m describing you.”

James Stagg

In this ruthless honesty, there is an exciting—and funny—rejection of social norms, along with the thrill of vicariously being so good at your job that you don’t need a charm offensive to be heard. Pressure is described as competency porn, featuring people who are so dedicated to their work, and so skilled at it, that it is deeply and almost orgasmically satisfying to watch.

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Another notable example is Locke, written and directed by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. While Tom Hardy anchors that film as a married construction foreman driving from Birmingham to London when a colleague with whom he had an affair goes into premature labour, Locke unfolds over two hours as he receives calls from his boss, his wife, his work trainee, and his sons through which his life begins to fall apart. While Tom Hardy is the only on-screen actor, voice performances are provided by Ruth Wilson as his wife, Andrew Scott as his work trainee, Ben Daniels as his boss, Olivia Colman as the colleague with whom he had the affair, and more. Critical reception for that project has been overwhelmingly positive, sitting at a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Anthony Lane of The New Yorker writing that its greatest asset is Hardy, whose rich, unflappable tones, even in times of high emotional pressure, bear a distinct echo of Richard Burton, and Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine praising his performance as the reason you’d see the film and remember it fondly long after the ride ends.