The Godfather (1972)

This critical and public success portrays the life of the mobster Don Corleone, or "The Godfather”. Vito Corleone heads a crime family that balances legitimate business with illegal operations. When a rival threatens his empire and a personal tragedy strikes, his youngest son, Michael, is drawn into the family business against his will. As Michael rises through the ranks, he becomes entangled in a cruel world, eventually transforming from a reluctant outsider into a ruthless leader. All drawn by Coppola's meticulous direction, in the film that brought him fame.