"The Real Enemy"

The Mark Steyn Weekend Show
May 20, 2017

https://www.steynonline.com/7829/the-real-enemy

In this brand new edition of The Mark Steyn Weekend Show, Mark talks to the screenwriter, producer and director Lionel Chetwynd - born in Hackney, raised in Montreal, but long resident in Hollywood. Steyn and Chetwynd discuss politics and popular culture, movies and the military - with special emphasis on what happens when you pitch a tale of wartime sacrifice with a dash of Ian Fleming to studio execs who want to know who "the real enemy" is. Click below to watch:

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24 Reader Comments

Richard • May 25, 2017 at 22:42

Excellent interview. Real gem at the end - it's easy to be part of something bigger, more difficult to be worthy of those who came before you. It takes minimal effort to slap a coexist bumper sticker on your car, to wear a broach or showcase some hashtag activism. It's not so easy to be worthy of the folks who were slaughtered at Charlie Hebdo, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Bataclan and so on. Sobering thought but absolutely correct.

Nathan in Snoqualmie • May 24, 2017 at 16:27

Fantastic interview, Mark! I didn't know he was involved in Ike: Countdown to D-Day, which happens to be my favorite WWII movie. It takes the unusual approach of focusing solely on the build-up to the Normandy invasion, and despite showing no battle scenes, it manages to keep you at the edge of your seat while giving you a different perspective on the war. Good stuff!

Matt McWilliams • May 22, 2017 at 15:25

I was not familiar with Mr. Chetwynd prior to watching this interview. I must say, he is a very profound man and well worth listening to. As a founding member of the Mark Steyn Club, it pleases me no end that I've been able to play a small part in bringing this type of content to a broader audience. Well done.

Eric from Ottawa • May 22, 2017 at 15:06

As with any good interview, this has left me with a great deal on which to reflect. I've recommended it to my son, who is working through his own political and social formation and is seeking entry into the Canadian military. Thank you, Mark, for bringing an interesting man to us and letting him speak.

Richard W. • May 22, 2017 at 12:20

I was VERY glad to hear a recount/perspective on the Dieppe raid. Even many who profess to know WWII history seem to overlook this important event. I have read that many thought it was a lesson from Churchill to help the Yanks realize that an early invasion was not the best option.

Holly • May 22, 2017 at 08:58

Mr Chetwynd mentioned The Dreyfuss Civics Iniative in this interview. I have always liked Richard Dreyfuss as an actor, and I was very heartened when I learned of his promotion of civics education a few years ago. I would like to suggest a long form interview with him to discuss this topic as well as his Hollywood insights. What do you think?

Anniel • May 21, 2017 at 21:39

Mr. Chetwynd has become my favorite guest on your show. He is new to me, but I hope to make him part of my life now. Thank you Mark for all you do. I sometimes wish I were very wealthy and could support you more. Alas! The funds are limited.

Gary • May 21, 2017 at 21:15

Excellent interview. I got a little teary-eyed listening to him describe what it meant to live up to his predecessors in the Black Watch.

Steve Mumford • May 21, 2017 at 20:09

Great interview, as usual. There's little slick or polished about Mark, just real conversation, an original point of view and a powerful intellect, working to bring out the best in his subjects. These long-form interviews are as thought-provoking as the best in the genre, ranking beside the (decidedly further to the left) great Terry Gross - Sorry, this erstwhile liberal still holds a candle for that one great NPR talent! I hope and expect Mark's audience to grow and grow.

Two thoughts on Hollywood's inability to celebrate sacrifice for country - Mark has pointed out elsewhere that demographics plays a role in how we deal with the concept of sacrifice. When most couples are having one or two children instead of four or five, the willingness to encourage a military career probably shrinks proportionately.
Hollywood's attitude may also explain why the plug got pulled on the Battle of Fallujah movie which was going to star Harrison Ford, seemingly a no-brainer to celebrate a hard-won and true victory in Iraq in 2004.

Bernie Hill • May 21, 2017 at 03:31

...its interesting don't you think that history is replete with examples, from different cultures, of men dying for other each other. But who ever heard of women dying for other women?

JohnBoy

Bernie Hill • May 21, 2017 at 10:10

Bernie, you're a brave man. What are you getting at with this comment? Are you suggesting that men and women are fundamentally different? That kind of thinking went out of fashion years ago - you know, back when Hollywood told stories worth watching.

Bernie Hill

Bernie Hill • May 21, 2017 at 18:59

...actually, about an hour after I posted it, I wasn't feeling quite so brave. There is an objective point in it though. Mark's commentaries often touch on the problem of feminism failing to settle for equilibrium, (yin & yan) and instead, seeking to entirely replace masculine mores,including in the military. In recent fuss about the Marines swapping naughty pics, I was astounded to hear one of the women commentators denigrating its warrior culture, and the Commandant saying the incident was one of the darkest events in Corp's history. What has the testosterone heavy jihad got to fear about that? At the time the items was news, I was in the Point Cruz Yacht Club, here on Guadalcanal, where I live. If you know Marine Corp's history about that exact spot, you'll appreciate the irony I felt about the latest "darkest" day.( I'm not a Yank btw.)

Rich Klein • May 21, 2017 at 03:24

Great interview with a really interesting guy that, I'm ashamed to say, I had never heard of. Nor had I heard of Dieppe but now I know that fascinating and tragic story. Thank you, Mark! I love your interviews.

JohnBoy • May 21, 2017 at 01:18

Thank you Mark for bringing us all things worth thinking about. Fascinating insight into the small minds of Hollywood that have decided what stories were told for the last 4 decades. The stories told by Hollywood have shaped the character of our country more than all the schools and political institutions combined, and thereby setting our course for the future. Here's to hoping the story of Dieppe is told to help correct the course.

Victor • May 21, 2017 at 00:53

Brushing aside Nazis to try and get at "the real enemy"...it is deeply narcissistic. Enough about Western Evil -- what do jihadists think of Western Evil? If the Other is incapable of generating evil then obviously they're not human.

Is it projection on my part, or is the Mark Steyn show a bit more relaxed and more thoroughly enjoyable now it's freed from the pay wall nonsense? This was a ripper, anyway.

And one small nitpick: I'm not entirely certain about the couch. No one ever looks fully settled or comfortable on the damn thing. It has a whiff of relativism about it - I sit here, I lean there, I grab this cushion while contorting that leg...the centre cannot hold. A couple of good solid conservative armchairs would be the ticket.

Karen Hanzel

Victor • May 21, 2017 at 13:42

I have to agree about "A couple of good solid conservative armchairs..."

I love the set itself--a delightful juxtaposition to the topics and ideas shared there; however, it appears that they are sitting on a bench that is trying desperately to be a couch.

As an old stage-craft instructor, I found myself distracted off and on by mentally trying to come up with a solution for this problem without ruining that handsome circular aesthetic.

Karen Hanzel • May 21, 2017 at 00:29

I am a new member--just joined about an hour ago. I found this interview with Lionel Chetwynd exceptionally insightful and poignant, and after reading the members comments below, I knew I had to join and support this valuable place.

I watched this interview twice and paused it here an there the second time through to look things up--history, places, and people.

I was impressed with how you worked together to clearly reveal the Hollywood mindset that I have never quite understood, especially as it relates to the political correctness in the celebrities who live "upstairs."

I also enjoyed the way you seamlessly integrated your transitions (narratives, questions, observations) to bring out the best in your guest. And what a guest he was--an intellectual with street-smarts, a keen observer of human nature with the gift to be able to express it with both grit and tact, connecting the dots to reveal the universal picture. A national treasure for both Canada and the U.S.

Wm. Tomlinson • May 20, 2017 at 15:58

Mark, Thank you so much for this interview. I miss seeing Lionel (PJTV)

On this day we honor our Armed Forces, his remembrance of his regiment and all my dad did to safeguard us from EVIL, brought a tear of appreciation to my eyes.

Again Mark, thank you for all you do.

Monte • May 20, 2017 at 14:47

Outstanding interview with Lionel Chetwynd Mark. As a novice student of World War 2 It has encouraged me to research the Dieppe Raid. Thank You.

Holly • May 20, 2017 at 14:24

Thanks, Mark, for another fascinating, relevant interview. I especially liked Mr. Chetwynd's point that wanting to be something "bigger" than oneself is easy, it's more important to want to be worthy of something noble. And it's breathtaking to realize the absence of nobility in today's world.

I also want to tell you how much I appreciate (and have done so even before the advent of the Mark Steyn Club) the fact that you are always giving us new website content over the weekends. Those of us who don't put our lives on hold from 5PM on Friday until 8AM on Monday can always find good reading and viewing material at SteynOnline. Thanks, again.

Hugh Myers • May 20, 2017 at 13:46

'terrific show with Lionel Chetwynd, proud to be a contributor in a small way to producing this sort of commentary. Thank-you.

JohnBoy • May 20, 2017 at 10:05

Is there something different about the way this video was formatted? Never had a complaint from my kindle fire about any previous video on SteynOnline, but this one it refuses to attempt. Must be a union thing.

JohnBoy

JohnBoy • May 21, 2017 at 01:09

Never mind, finally got it to work- and it was certainly worth it!

Bill Waldron • May 20, 2017 at 09:36

Huzzah!