A subtle detail used in The Godfather has fans thrilled as they realise what orangers were used for.
The Francis Ford Coppola trilogy has gone down in history as one of Hollywood’s finest achievements, but some are only just realising the significance of the fruit in some of the film’s best scenes.
A post to the r/Godfather subreddit had users share their thoughts on why oranges appear at moments of disaster for the Marlon Brando and Al Pacino-featuring film series.
One user took to the Reddit page and wrote: “So I’m fully aware of the oranges, but is there a specific reason for it? It’s a cool factoid that I love. I’ve seen it referenced elsewhere to great effect (lol Sopranos).”
Whether the oranges are intentional or accidental in their ominous callsign has split fans, with some agreeing with director Coppola, though detractors believe it was an intentional choice.
The original poster added: “But is there an actual reason they made oranges specifically into a signal characters would die? Do oranges have a symbol or significance that links them to death or was it just a cool idea they had while shooting?”
Fans remain split, with one suggesting they “aren’t really meant to symbolise death” and are more for brightening darker-shot scenes. They wrote: “According to an interview that I read with FFC the oranges aren’t really meant to symbolize death.
“They are to bring color to dark scenes. Ironically almost all the scenes shot in dark light usually resulted in someone’s death hence the orange connection.” Another user disagreed, comparing it to John Lennon describing The Beatles’ hit Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds as “just the name of a drawing his son made.”
They added: “Surely it can’t be coincidence that Don Vito buys oranges just before the assassination attempt, there are oranges on the table just before the prize horse is decapitated, there are oranges on the table when Don Vito falsely promises peace to the heads of the Five Families, knowing that his son will deal with them, etc.
“Not every death is preceded by oranges, but unless I am mistaken, oranges always herald death.”
There may be truth to both theories, though, as a book on the making of The Godfather suggests the oranges preceding moments of death was a coincidence in the first, but actively sought in the sequels.
Harlen Lebo writes in his book, The Godfather Legacy: ” In The Godfather, oranges are a prominent motif that foreshadow tragedy and symbolize mortal danger.
“Though originally intended to brighten the set, production designer Dean Tavoularis’s inclusion of oranges became an accidental omen of death and violence. Coppola continued to feature oranges in the sequels, intentionally aligning them with the established theme.”
Another user suggested there had to be something about the oranges and their frequent appearances, writing: “Oranges pop up too much in the movie to just be a coincidence.”