Hegemony to humanity

Reimagining masculinity through Sam Miller’s adaptation of A Gentleman in Moscow

Bibliographic Data

ID19487886
AuthorsA Jerrin Steve (Vellore Institute of Technology University), R Preetha (Vellore Institute of Technology University)
Year2026
Volume11
Pages1816505-1816505
Publication date2026-05-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fsoc.2026.1816505
PMID42272693
OpenAlexW7162401024
LanguageEN
References cited14

The study examines the series A Gentleman in Moscow (2024), directed by Sam Miller, as a reconstruction of masculinity. This study focuses on tracing the transformation of the protagonist Count Alexander Rostov from a dominant form of masculinity, called hegemonic masculinity, to an ethical, affective, and relational responsibility. Rather than directing the focal point toward the fall of men, the study draws the decline of masculine authority from its aristocratic composure. As the events take place during the post-revolutionary Russian era, the study analyzes Rostov’s confinement within a closed enclosure as an inward moral recalibration. Rostov’s relationships with Nina as an instructor, with Anna as a partner, and with Sofia as a father present a progressive arc of masculinity from the initial stage of emotional literacy to romantic intimacy and ethical maturity. The research uses qualitative textual and visual analysis and synthesizes the frameworks of RW Connell’s hegemonic masculinity, habitus, and caring masculinity. The study also focuses on cinematic grammar, such as framing, lighting, deliberate pacing, and gestures, to perform masculinity’s ethical evolution. The traditional Russian context of endurance and restraint makes the adaptation read as culturally specific. Despite that, it resonates globally with post-patriarchal masculinity. The investigation concludes that the “A Gentleman in Moscow” series offers a model for ethical masculinity grounded not in power but in care

Context (archaeology) · Cultural hegemony · Hegemonic masculinity · Hegemony · Masculinity · Power (physics) · Romance · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access