The Godfather was a controversial film for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was one of the first major Hollywood films to realistically portray the Mafia. This caused some consternation among Italian-Americans, who felt that the film was unfairly portraying their community. Secondly, the film's depiction of violence and crime was considered too graphic for some viewers. Finally, The Godfather is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and its success led to a wave of imitators that many people felt were inferior copies.