The Movie:

The problem with modern romance films is that no matter how modern the approach seems at the time of their release, they will inevitably feel dated and old-fashioned as time passes. Two for the Seesaw tells the story of a tumultuous and fragile romance between an unusual couple, a straight-laced lawyer from Nebraska named Jerry (Robert Mitchum), and a free-spirited beatnik dancer named Gittel (Shirley MacLaine). Robert Wise's film, adapted by Isobel Lennart from a play by William Gibson, gets extra points for not letting the story and the execution exploit the possible "wackiness" of an odd couple scenario. What we get instead is a levelheaded and adult drama about how difficult it might be for two very different people to make a romance work, no matter how much profound love and affection they might feel for each other.

Wise was a prolific and eclectic director who had the guts to try out many different genres. This might be why, like other legendary filmmakers who weren't afraid to tackle wildly different styles and tones (Sidney Lumet comes to mind), his name doesn't come up as much whenever a list of great American directors pops up. Pretty much whatever genre you can think of, he more than likely directed one of the most highly regarded examples of it. Musicals? How about The Sound of Music? Science-fiction? How about The Day The Earth Stood Still? A sci-fi classic that's so iconic, it's enough to make you forget that he also directed Star Trek: The Motionless Picture. Horror? How about The Haunting? Romance? West Side Story.

Even though Wise was courageous enough to tackle any style, Two for the Seesaw might have required too subtle of an approach for him to hold back some of his melodramatic tendencies. He made it immediately after West Side Story, a romance/musical so colorful and boisterous, that it's famous for inspiring the exuberant storytelling approach and style of modern Bollywood musicals. Perhaps Wise wanted to follow that with a dialed down black and white New York romance about two lost people trying to find meaning in their love for each other. As much as the goal might have been to study the implications of a then-modern romance, Two for the Seesaw is still stuck in some of the old-fashioned patriarchal understandings of a straight relationship.

Coming off a bad divorce, Jerry seems to think a relationship with a younger, free-spirited girl is a breath of fresh air, but he also has no problems with controlling her every action, while yearning to take care of her emotionally and financially. On the surface, Gittel is set up as an independent woman, but she gradually turns out to be frail and submissive, yearning for Jerry's complete love and compassion above everything else. When he slaps her during an especially dramatic argument, she takes it as a normal part of a relationship. No matter how snappy and wisecracking the dialogue is, this archaic dynamic between the characters holds Two for the Seesaw back from being a refreshing romance that would have stood the test of time.

The performances are pretty good, as Mitchum and MacLaine have decent chemistry. As likable as Mitchum is in the role, he comes off a little too stiff. No one but MacLaine could have played a New York beatnik better at the time. Apparently, there was a time when Paul Newman was tapped to play the male part. Now that would have been a perfect pairing.

The Blu-ray:

Video:

Two for the Seesaw sports gorgeous black and white images of New York, as well as some clever set design. There's a genius set up where a set is literally split into two in order to visualize a phone call, instead of the typical optical split screen. Yet the subpar transfer doesn't do the great cinematography justice, as it's full of dirt and scratches, as well as the cigarette burns between reels. I'm sure this is the best Two for the Seesaw looks on home video, but don't expect a Criterion-level transfer.

Audio:

There isn't any information about this anywhere on the disc or the packaging, but I'm guessing that the DTS-HD 2.0 track represents a mono mix, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. What's wrong with a good old fashioned 1.0 track? The sound transfer is a bit tinny, hiss and scratches can be clearly heard during moments of silence. The levels between the dialogue and score are a bit uneven, which might cause you to constantly play with the volume.

Extras:

Nothing, except a couple of Trailers for other Kino Lorber releases.

Final Thoughs:

Two for the Seesaw's approach to a "modern" romance might rub some audiences the wrong way in present time, and the film's pacing drags a lot during the second act due to an episodic structure, but the solid performances, the beautiful cinematography, and Wise's assured direction turns it into a nice rental.

Oktay Ege Kozak is a film critic and screenwriter based in Portland, Oregon. He also writes for The Playlist, The Oregon Herald, and Beyazperde.com