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Pressure

Play trailer Poster for Pressure 1976 2h 0m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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A young black man (Herbert Norville) in England endures discrimination despite his best efforts to blend in with white society.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian 11/02/2023
5/5
Pressure is vigorous and rough-hewn and Ové lays down the broad brushstrokes with compulsive energy. Go to Full Review
Hanna Flint House Notes 11/13/2023
Ové powerfully presents a cross-section of Black perspectives – and the tensions those differing ideas provoke. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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01/18/2011 The first british film by a black director. It feels like a time capsule from the mid 70's. Just two years before star wars, britain was a pretty racist place. A intelligent and promising young black man finds life a struggle after leaving school, despite a good education and significant efforts to find a job. Something needs to change. Authorities are against him but there seems to be hope present in the young. See more 05/22/2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atos5QqgxBk See more 02/15/2010 Vivid, only occasionally heavy-going account of African Carribean experiences of Britain in the 1970s. Much interesting material on the cultural shift from the original post-WW2 generation of immigrants and the younger generation now native to Britain. It begins as an even-handed study and gradually takes sides - with good reason. Slightly too didactic to work as a whole for me, but an urgent, interesting piece of filmmaking all the same. See more 11/24/2009 British film, and the first feature length film ever made by a black British film-maker, about the experience of being black and coming of age in the 70's, when racism was overt and egg and bacon was a healthy start to the day. Made on a budget, its a little rough around the edges, but still an engrossing film, mostly due to the excellent performance by Herbert Norville as the lead character Tony finding his place and beliefs in a world that is intent on choosing them for him. It was controversial in its time (banned by the BFI for two years) but would barely flicker an eyelid if shown on TV now. This is a good thing. See more 12/30/2008 Very well made film for a first time director tackling the realities of life in the 70's for young black men. So many elements of this film seem to have inspired British film-makers in the years following it from Alan Clarke to Shane Meadows that I am astounded Pressure is such a seemingly forgotten film See more 11/13/2008 Great stuff. A hugely affecting study of a young man torn between two cultures, which to me seems as relevant today as it was when it was made. The BFI's DVD release has some fascinating extra features too. See more Read all reviews
Pressure

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young black man (Herbert Norville) in England endures discrimination despite his best efforts to blend in with white society.
Director
Horace Ové
Producer
Robert Buckler
Screenwriter
Horace Ové, Samuel Selvon
Production Co
BFI Production
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
2h 0m