Why Does the Wind Blow? Lessons from Pressure

Intro

On Thursday, June 4th, 2026, I attended my third and final literary field trip of the year. This trip took place at the Maynard Fine Arts Theatre, where I watched the matinee showing of the movie Pressure, which is based on a true story and was directed by Anthony Maras.

The film focuses heavily on the role that meteorologists played during WWII, especially in the days leading up to the invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day. Before viewing the film, I had a general idea of the importance of D-Day during the Second World War, but I had no idea how significant meteorologists were in planning the invasion and ensuring victory. 

The operation of D-Day depended heavily on the weather, some of the most unpredictable forces in the entire world. With the fate of the war on the line, meteorologists were tasked with predicting the unpredictable with almost zero technological aid. When you think about military history, you think of generals, soldiers, tanks, and bombs, but few people think of meteorologists. Because of this, I expected the film to offer a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes of planning one of the most influential invasions in the history of the world, but I never expected it to connect and engage with me symbolically as much as it did.

The Theatre 

The theatre itself contributed greatly to this experience. Unlike a large commercial theatre, the Maynard Fine Arts Theatre felt much more personal.

Additionally, watching a historical movie in a historically founded building just seemed to add to this feeling of personality that a large big box theatre would lack. The theatre layout itself was unlike any theatre I have ever seen before. When you think of a typical movie theatre, you think about a large square room that is quite wide, but this theatre was much more rectangular and only had 2 columns of seats, which stretched the theatre, making it look very long and skinny, making it a very unique viewing experience. This smaller and more unique setting created a much stronger connection between the audience and the film. 

The Movie Itself 

The movie Pressure tells the story of the meteorologists who were tasked with predicting the weather conditions for D-Day. The film places a spotlight on the gigantic amount of pressure that was placed on these meteorologists as they had to come up with calculated predictions in a very short amount of time.

The meteorologists were given the power to influence the date of D-Day; a decision that bet the outcome of the war on these meteorologists being able to correctly predict the weather. At face value, this may seem like a stretch. You may be asking how knowing the weather could lead to the ending of a world war? But when you look deeper, the weather needed to have conditions that would allow for the successful landing of ships on the shores of Normandy, or the invasion would have been over before it even started. As the film progresses, it continuously seems to reinforce to the viewers that weather forecasting technology during WWII was far less advanced than it is today, opening the eyes of viewers to the sheer importance of the meteorologists in the outcome of the war.

A wrong prediction could potentially cost thousands of lives and could jeopardize the allies’ chances of coming out on top. The tension caused by such an important decision was present throughout the entire film and showed viewers that the decisions around weather forecasting during WWII were not decisions that only impacted science, but also decisions that impacted the lives of human beings.  

Symbolism

One of the most interesting aspects of the film to me was a question that the main character, Captain James Stagg, raised about halfway through the story, Why does the wind blow? At first, this appears to be a pretty simple question that can be answered with science, but as the film progressed, I realized that it represented something much larger.

It symbolizes the desire to understand what’s going on around us. To always have an answer, to never be left in the dark, unknowing of what is next.  This connects back to the meteorologists because they are not just simply trying to predict next week’s weather. They are trying to understand an invisible and unpredictable force that can shape the outcome of a world war. People are always searching for answers, and the experiences of the meteorologists show us that to find answers, you need to be willing to start, even if the outcome seems impossible. 

Another moment of the film that stood out to me was at the very end when the two rivaling meteorologists who were forced to work together in order to predict the weather of D-Day shook hands, but not just any handshake, a left-handed handshake. This left-handed handshake immediately stood out to me because traditionally, everyone shakes hands with their right hand, so this moment confused me and was very thought-provoking. I feel that the filmmakers wanted this moment to stand out to the viewers.

I feel this way because throughout the film, the two men often disagreed and actively challenged each other’s ideas, but as the story progressed, they began to realize that their shared goal was much more important than their personal rivalry. This was a very hard thing for them to realize and accept, but in the end, they were able to find their common ground. To me, the filmmakers chose the left-handed handshake to represent this neutrality and common ground between the two once rivals. A right-handed handshake would’ve portrayed one individual as surrendering to the other and admitting he was wrong, but this uncommon left-handed handshake shows both rivals stepping down to each other and showing their respect for one another.

I believe that this idea connects back to the central idea of the film, the left-handed handshake breaks away from the idea of assumptions and patterns representing the same process that the two rivals had to go through for the success of the greater good. This teaches viewers that progress is not always made from what you originally think, but comes from people who are willing to think differently and consider possibilities and solutions that they may have never thought of on their own.

Conclusion 

Overall, I really enjoyed how thought-provoking this film was, and it truly expanded my understanding of WWII and brought light to a hugely important factor that many people have never even considered to be significant. This lit trip showed me that even scientific topics can connect back to our class and can be very engaging and educational. I walked out of the theatre today with something that I did not walk in with; I walked out with a certain appreciation for things that go unseen.

In many cases in our lives, people work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure success, but never truly get the credit that they deserve. Pressure acts as a symbol for those who go unseen, for those who go above and beyond day in and day out. This movie taught me that history does not revolve around those whose names we see in textbooks or whose faces we see in portraits or on statues, but also to countless other individuals whose efforts may seem insignificant, but have shaped the world we live in today.