The classic, three-part mob movie was inaugurated with this film from Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather (1972). The first two parts of the grand saga are among the most celebrated, landmark films of all time. Many film reviewers consider the second part equal or superior to the original, although the first part was a tremendous critical and commercial success - and the highest grossing film of its time. This mythic, tragic film contributed to a resurgence in the American film industry, after a decade of competition from cinema abroad.