Pumping Iron II: The Women
1985, dir. George Butler
"A story of strength, desire, courage... and a new definition of woman."
This sequel to the film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a superstar follows a group of four women as they prepare and compete in the 1983 Caesars World Cup in Las Vegas: butch Australian powerlifter Bev Francis, the more traditionally feminine Rachel McLish, former synchronized swimmer Carla Dunlap, and Texan Lori Bowen, who hopes to win so her bodybuilder boyfriend can quit his job as a male stripper.
Beyond simply being a wildly entertaining documentary, Pumping Iron II: The Women raises fascinating questions about gender, femininity, and society's expectations of womanhood that feel more relevant now than ever.
New 4K restoration by Muscle Distribution.
