Another unpopular opinion

Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I really like Raiders of the Lost Ark. I find the character dynamics compelling, the plot based in just enough of reality to seem remotely plausible and the pacing to be exquisite. There is rarely an unnecessary scene and the dialogue is crisp and the whole thing is a fun thrill ride.

But.

Ultimately, the movie has as its central theme the futility of man's struggles against fate -- we cannot change things (There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will"). It is a paean to failure. Consider the overall story arc -- Indy works to keep the Ark of the Covenant out of the hands of the Nazis. But each time he does, the Nazis get it back! Had Marian Ravenwood simply given the headpiece to the Germans and avoided all the bloodshed at her version of Rick's Cafe in Nepal, the Germans would have had the head piecee, found the Ark, taken it by Beloq's request to a deserted island with a convenient submarine base on it, opened it and all had their faces melted. The only difference would be that Indy would not have been there to not see it, and there would have been no one to box up the Ark and put it somewhere safe so top-men could ignore it for a while. 

Indy does nothing that ultimately causes the downfall of the villains. In fact, it is only their success at the endeavor and then their own bad judgment which leads to their downfall. The same, by the way, holds true for the 3rd movie (the Holy Grail movie). In that one, all of Indy's attempts to stay ahead of the baddies and find the grail lead the baddies right to it, and it is only because the head baddie is double crossed by his own femme that he becomes a fatale-ity. And then she, trying to leave with the cup, causes her own death and Indy fails to save her. Had the Jones boys simply led the bad guys there and then sat back, some result. The Crystal Skull movie has the same idea -- the evil lady with the bad haircut gets what she wants. She wins. But by winning, she loses, Indy be damned. 

So, yeah, I love the movie (movies, some of them) but they all seem to be more about the failure of Indy to achieve his own mission, but the heavens make sure that evil is repaid not by man's hand but by God's.