1. The Godfather (1972)
Francis Ford Coppola's magnificent cinematic achievement, «The Godfather», is truly the original film about the mafia that still ranks as number one to this day. It is in a post-World War II America that the film is set as it narrates the story of the Corleone crime family who are shown dealing with the complexities of power, warranting, and treachery. The movie is cast with the legendary Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in the lead role; it is directed by a master, and has powerfull Lines; as such, the «The Godfather» is a motion picture of eternal class and focal point for cinema.
2. Goodfellas (1990)
This Martin Scorsese-directed masterpiece «Goodfellas» depicts the world of the crime gang with a fascinating and harsh reality. As the story goes, the movie is based on the real-life events of Henry Hill, who rises as famous Cosa Nostra until he becomes a close friend of Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, two other high-profile mobsters. This film is full energy and has a breath-taking stagey, sharp dialogs and masterful performance by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, so «Goodfellas» is one of the best crime movies ever made.
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather sequel is a not-so-common case of an afterpiece that equals if not surpasses the first one. The movie namely investigates Vito Corleone's step-by-step climb to power in 1920's New York but in an opposing manner shows the period of his son, Michael, in the 1950's. With its dual narrative structure, rich character development, and stunning performances by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, «The Godfather: Part 2» is a movie made by a director that tries to understand the absurdities that anyone can experience when going into the world of the mafia.
4. Scarface (1983)
This movie is helmed by Brian De Palma and penned by Oliver Stone, and it can be regarded as a crime saga of modern day set in the 1980s Miami of Cuban immigrant named Tony Montana. The drug lord on the rise to the top of Montana takes over his entire life, leaving him short on everything but greed, power, and fear, which later fuel his sudden death. As an actor, Al Pacino plays the role of the character Montana, who is shown as not only a determined but also ruthless and criminal individual. Additionally, the film's style and iconic images have become an important part of its cult status.
5. Casino (1995)
With Martin Scorsese as a director, «Casino» casts the moviegoer into the breathtaking and menacing Las Vegas era of the 1970s. With the real life events as the basis, this film is a story of the ascent and the ultimate defeat of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, the professional gambler whose mission is to run the Tangiers Casino. Rothstein's own odyssey takes place in a briar patch of organized crime and government corruption where the murderous mob enforcer Nicky Santoro and the love interest Ginger McKenna, played by Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone, form part of his shifting alliance. Through its rich detail of production design, fast movie editing techniques, and convincing performances, «Casino» presents a gripping journey through the cesspool of human weaknesses as they are consumed by the lure of money in the neon-lit sin city of Las Vegas.
These Top 5 mafia films are still classics, which have a truly lasting impact on the cinema, and each one of them shows you a lot of details of the mafia world, together with its ambiguous nature.