A common theme shared by "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and another 1981 film, "Superman II", is American security is at risk. These films are emblematic of their time and the contemporary fears of American citizens. The Nazi characters are based on a former threat to America, and like "Superman II", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" requires the intervention of a superhuman, fantasy character to prevent destruction at the hands of enemy forces—a character audiences can admire, but never possibly emulate. Janet Maslin argues the fantasy of these films and the larger-than-life characters are designed to satisfy audiences who do not want to reflect on the world around them. Jones is striving to recover the Ark both to stop the Nazis but also for personal glory; "Raiders of the Lost Ark" never dwells on the regular people around the world who would be affected by an invincible Nazi army. The period setting of the film also presents audiences with a time tinged in romantic nostalgia and filled with the possibility for adventure. The film also offered a counter to the American national embarrassments of its defeat in the Vietnam War (1955–1975), and the political scandal of Watergate (1972); Jones is an American hero who steps in reluctantly to save the world by overcoming almost exclusively foreign enemies.