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Blessed with a striking appearance, Roger Pigaut was far from just another matinee idol. Unlike many young male leads of the 1930s and '40s, he possessed a distinct presence. With his dark wavy hair, prominent facial features, and intense gaze, he could evoke both the tenderness of romance and the edge of a rebel; he would have been perfect as Heathcliff, the passionate yet brooding lover from "Wuthering Heights." While Pigaut did appear in a TV adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel, it was not until 1970—by then he was 50, too old to portray Catherine's lover. Instead, he played Norwood, the story’s narrator, a far less thrilling role. Early in his career, Pigaut excelled when his performances embraced complexity—when his overt masculine charm clashed with a darker, more ambiguous side. Autant-Lara’s masterpiece "Douce" (1943) exemplifies this duality: Fabien, the estate manager he portrays, begins as a cynical manipulator feigning love for Douce but gradually falls genuinely for her. Even in straightforward roles, his characters rarely appear innocent or pure. In "Sortilèges" (Christian-Jaque, 1944), his lumberjack character vacillates between the "good girl" (Renée Faure) and the "bad girl" (Madeleine Robinson), while in "La rose de la mer," a young hero determined to uphold justice is forced to kill and surrender to the police. In "Antoine et Antoinette" (Jacques Becker, 1947), the role for which he is best remembered, his likable husband also reveals selfishness: he hides the fact that their national lottery ticket has won and buys a sidecar mainly for himself. After such a promising start, one might have expected a more dazzling career path. Unfortunately, he went on to appear in many modest films that left little mark on cinema history. For every "The Bouquinquant Brothers" or "Une histoire simple," there were numerous forgettable titles like "Cartouche, roi de Paris," "La Peau d'un homme," "Un sourire dans la tempête," and "Loves of Manon Lescaut." Aware of the mediocrity of many of his projects and feeling somewhat uncomfortable with acting, Pigaut turned to directing, a pursuit that gave him greater satisfaction. Between 1958 and 1975, while continuing to appear regularly on both big and small screens, he directed five films, including three detective thrillers distinguished by technical mastery and the ability to assemble impressive casts. "Comptes à rebours" (1970) features established talents such as Michel Bouquet, Jeanne Moreau, Simone Signoret, Charles Vanel, Serge Reggiani, Jean Desailly, and Marcel Bozzuffi. Likewise, "Trois milliards sans ascenseur" (1971) and "Le Guêpier" (1975) showcase similar qualities. However, despite their polish and competent direction, this crime trilogy remains somewhat superficial and conventional. Nevertheless, Pigaut also authored several television episodes and created a notably unique work: "The Magic of the Kite," a children's fantasy filmed in China, rich in imagination and poetry. For this film alone, Pigaut deserves recognition among noteworthy directors.
