
$245m worldwide in 1972 — $1.93bn in today's money.
As released$245mIn 2026 money$1.93bnRank21 of 8,589In 19721 of 31
Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.
Critics 99, awards 95. Half each, so Praise lands at 99.
Critics99 → 49Awards95 → 47
Half critics, half a tiered award record where Picture and Directing carry most of the weight. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.
Judged directly: Endlessly referenced, permanently iconic mafia touchstone.
Verdict98 of 100IMDb9.2 from 2.2mWikipedia227k views a monthAge54 years
If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.
Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.
Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.