Hegemony to humanity: reimagining masculinity through Sam Miller’s adaptation of A Gentleman in Moscow
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: (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.
Source: Frontiers in Sociology
Authors: A. Jerrin Steve, R. Preetha
Language: English
Topic: Gender and Feminist Studies
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,418
OpenAlex ID: W7162401024