Summary
- Oranges are a powerful symbol in The Godfather, foreshadowing tragedy when they appear before a character’s death.
- Initially meant to brighten up the set, oranges became an ominous motif throughout The Godfather trilogy.
- The iconic orange motif in The Godfather has influenced other crime movies and TV shows in the genre.
Oranges are an important symbol in The Godfather, and their hidden meaning has become a commonly used shorthand in visual language. Adapted from the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 gangster epic revolves around aging mob boss Vito Corleone as he reluctantly hands the reins of his powerful criminal empire to his wayward son Michael. At the time of its release, The Godfather was briefly the highest-grossing movie ever made. Universally praised as a masterpiece, The Godfather is full of symbols and motifs for eagle-eyed viewers to spot.
The Godfather was also one of the cornerstones of the “New Hollywood” movement in which dark, edgy, violent, cynical movies unexpectedly became commercially viable. And it began a string of all-time great movies directed by Francis Ford Coppola, followed by The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now. From horses’ heads to offers that can’t be refused, many elements of The Godfather have entered the cultural zeitgeist. Oranges appear intermittently throughout the movie whenever something bad is about to happen. But the intention behind this motif isn’t the same as the meaning that the audience reads into it.
Source
The Godfather Cast Guide: Where Are They Now
The Godfather cast is one of the greatest ensembles ever, and even the actors playing minor characters in the trilogy are completely unforgettable.
The Oranges Foreshadow Death & Tragedy In The Godfather
Oranges Often Came Before A Death Or Otherwise Violent Scene In The Godfather
Oranges can be spotted all throughout The Godfather, and they always appear before character deaths or other shocking tragedies. When Vito Corleone is buying oranges in the street, he gets shot. As he falls to the ground, the oranges scatter across the street. Before the severed horse’s head appears in Jack Woltz’s bed, oranges are seen on the dinner table where he’s eating with Tom Hagen. Right before Vito’s death near the end of The Godfather, he’s peeling an orange and making faces with the rind in his mouth to amuse his grandson.
When oranges appear, it’s a message to the audience telling them not to get too attached to whichever characters are in the scene.
In every case, the oranges foreshadow a tragedy that is about to befall a character. When oranges appear, it’s a message to the audience telling them not to get too attached to whichever characters are in the scene. Once audiences know to watch out for oranges, it might seem like a spoiler to telegraph every tragic plot turn. If oranges appear before a death, the audience can see it coming. But each tragedy foreshadowed by oranges still arrives as a surprise because the form that tragedy takes is always different. No one could predict the decapitation of a horse, and Vito’s death by heart attack is subversively undramatic.
The Oranges Were Just Meant To Brighten Up The Somber Set
Oranges Weren’t Originally Intended To Mean Something More In The Godfather
In his book about the making of The Godfather, Harlen Lebo claims the oranges featured in the classic gangster movie were intended to brighten up a gloomy set. “For [production designer] Dean Tavoularis, oranges were simply another carefully chosen complement to otherwise somberly dressed sets,” Leo writes in The Godfather Legacy (via Time). Tavoularis explained, “We knew this film wasn’t going to be about bright colors, and oranges make a nice contrast. I don’t remember anybody saying, ‘Hey, I like oranges as a symbolic message.’” One of the most iconic visual symbols in cinema history happened by coincidence. If storytellers stay true to the narrative, clever devices pop up naturally.
The Godfather
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How The Godfather’s Oranges Motif Has Influenced Other Movies & TV Shows
The Godfather’s Oranges Have Spread To Other Movie & TV Franchises
The influence of The Godfather’s iconic orange motif can be seen all over the crime genre. The color orange recurs in the build-up to Omar’s death in The Wire. In The Sopranos, Tony buys orange juice right before an attempt on his life. In Breaking Bad, a startled neighbor drops a bag of oranges when Walt returns to Albuquerque. During a stakeout in Point Break, a man is selling oranges on the street before bullets start flying. The Godfather is such a landmark in the genre that other crime movies and shows have taken to using its most familiar symbol – the oranges of death – as a recurring trope.
Every Time Oranges Are Shown In The Godfather Trilogy
Oranges Continued To Be A Feature Of The Godfather Sequels
Oranges and their symbolism didn’t stop with the original 1972 The Godfather. The colorful fruit and the bad news they bore may have initially been a coincidence, but in The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990), Coppola and the others involved with the trilogy knew precisely what they were doing. More tragic and surprising deaths were juxtaposed with cheery oranges, and as audiences began to catch on to the trend, the symbol became all the more ominous. Now, upon reflection, The Godfather is a franchise entirely marked by oranges.
Every Appearance Of Oranges In The Godfather Franchise | |
|---|---|
Appearance | Movie |
Tessio holds an orange at Connie’s Wedding reception. | The Godfather |
An orange is visible in a fruit bowl near Sonny Corleone’s wife at the wedding brunch. | The Godfather |
A bowl of oranges is the centerpiece of Jack Woltz’s table. | The Godfather |
Don Corleone buys oranges from the market. | The Godfather |
Oranges fall onto the street when Don Corleone is shot. | The Godfather |
An orange in a fruit bowl sits before Don Emilio Barzini during the family meeting. | The Godfather |
Don Corleone eats an orange and plays with the peel before he dies. | The Godfather |
Johnny Ola gives Michael Corleone an orange. | The Godfather Part II |
The table is covered in oranges when the New York families have their meeting. | The Godfather Part II |
A bowl of oranges sits before Michael Corleone at the Cuba Mafia meeting. | The Godfather Part II |
Don Fanucci buys an orange from the market. | The Godfather Part II |
Vito Corleone buys an orange from the market. | The Godfather Part II |
Michael Corleone is seen eating an orange. | The Godfather Part II |
Michael Corleone’s lawyer is served orange juice. | The Godfather Part III |
A fruit bowl filled with oranges sits in front of Don Cuneo. | The Godfather Part III |
An orange rolls across the table before the attack of the Dons. | The Godfather Part III |
An orange is on the table in front of Vincent Corleone. | The Godfather Part III |
Vincent Corleone tosses an orange. | The Godfather Part III |
Michael Corleone drinks orange juice during his diabetic attack. | The Godfather Part III |
A bowl of oranges sits in front of Don Altobello. | The Godfather Part III |
Michael Corleone drops an orange as he dies. | The Godfather Part III |
The Godfather (1972)
Francis Ford Coppola directed this 1978 classic that would go on to become one of the most iconic crime films ever made. Starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino, The Godfather gives a tense and introspective look into the Corleone crime family of New York City.
- Release Date
- March 24, 1972
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Runtime
- 175 minutes
- Franchise(s)
- The Godfather
- Budget
- $6 million
