I actually think the best way to see Godfather (which is also my vote for greatest American film, over Kane, 2001, and Vertigo) is historical chronicle. If you want a similar movie/film, you could tell the story of the Syrian Civil War from the perspective of a single (preferably rich and powerful) family, or the story of the first 10 years of Vietnam after America left the country.

Even a biopic of like, someone like Lenin or Mao would replicate the feel and scale of The Godfather.