In this strange complex of time and space anything can happen

I must admit to not having seen Troy, largely because of a largely negative reaction to Gladiator (though Derek Jacobi was as good as ever in it).

Derek Jacobi is always good!

I will say that if you didn't like Gladiator, you're probably wise not to see Troy. I don't really consider either of them great works of art in themselves, but my interest in the Classical Receptions aspect is such that it completely overshadows the issue of whether they're good or bad films for me: I'm just so wrapped up in what they can tell me about modern responses to the Classical world, that they become a source of never-ending fascination to me for this reason alone.

Indeed, it could be said that much of my enthusiasm for Dracula really stems from me seeing the book as an artefact of social history, rather than a work of literature. I'm a historian, so I can't help this: I'll gladly analyse complete trash if it gives me an insight into the attitudes of its time. Then, I come away having enjoyed analysing it, and it's easy for me to confuse this with having enjoyed whatever it was for its artistic merits. Hence, I think of myself as really loving both Troy and Gladiator, but I suppose that when I step back and think about why, I have to admit that it isn't because they're profound and moving works of cinematic genius!