And he did so as someone who truly loved the original, who respected his source material, and who as a general rule carved it with the grain and not against it in his attempt to shape it into the needs of a big budget film trilogy.
Maybe at first, but as the Washington Legal Foundation noted recently, if the source then says he has no idea what counsel are talking about, Rule 11 sanctions could well be on the way.
Wenger turned his attention to the rest of the season and the likely source of any silverware they may secure - the FA Cup - although he refused to completely rule out the Premiership title.
But so far, Mr Putin seems more interested in Europe as a source of modernisation and stability for Russia than as a club with its own demanding rules about democracy and the rule of law.