In 1972 , Francis Ford Coppola 's '' The Godfather '' was released . The epic story of the Corleone family , its generational transition from post-prohibition to post-war , its fratricidal intrigues , and its tapestry of mid-century America 's criminal underworld became a huge critical and commercial success . It accounted for nearly 10 % of gross proceeds for all films for the entire year . It won the Oscar for Best Picture , as well as the award for Best Actor for Marlon Brando and is widely considered one of the greatest American films of all time . Two years later , '' The Godfather Part II '' became the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year and garnered 11 Academy Award nominations . It again won Best Picture . Coppola won Best Director and Robert DeNiro won best supporting actor for his portrayal of a young Vito Corleone
Academy Award nominations
47th Academy Awards
Gangster film