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Symbolic significance of oranges in The Godfather


SoFlaJets

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in the Godfatrher saga

Some film scholars and fans of the Godfather movies note what they believe is the symbolic significance of oranges in the films, suggesting that after the appearance of an orange in the film an important "death scene" follows

In the first film, Tom Hagen and Woltz negotiate Johnny's movie status at a dinner table with a plate of oranges on it, and Woltz soon discovers his horse's severed head;

Don Vito Corleone is buying oranges from a fruit seller when he is attacked;

Sonny drives past a billboard promoting Florida Oranges before he is attacked at the toll booth;

Michael is seen eating an orange while discussing his plans of revenge for his father's assassination attempt with Tom Hagen;

oranges are placed on the table at the meeting of the Mafia bosses (and specifically in front of those who will be assassinated at the film's climax); and

Don Vito Corleone dies while eating an orange, as he plays with his young grandson.

Tessio is also seen peeling an orange at Connie's wedding.

Carlo, who is responsible for Sonny's death, is wearing an orange suit when Sonny beats him up.

In Part II, Fanucci grabs an orange from a stand just before he is murdered by Vito in the hallway of his apartment building.

Johnny Ola brings Michael an orange from Miami and is later killed.

Michael is also seen eating an orange while in a meeting with Tom Hagen and Rocco Lampone, as they are planning the assassination of Hyman Roth, who is killed in the final scene.

In Part III, before they are murdered by assassins in a helicopter, an orange rolls off the table. Finally, as Michael Corleone dies at the end of part III, he drops an orange and it rolls away.

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I'll take a stab. Hehe. All great filmmakers use symbolism, often hidden. My guess is that it's a reference to the flag of Sicily, because the characters are Sicilian - but it goes further. The trinacria is in the middle, divided by red for the city of Palermo (also bloodshed here), and orange for the city of...drum roll...Corleone. :)

Sicily_flag_L.jpg

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I'll take a stab. Hehe. All great filmmakers use symbolism, often hidden. My guess is that it's a reference to the flag of Sicily, because the characters are Sicilian - but it goes further. The trinacria is in the middle, divided by red for the city of Palermo (also bloodshed here), and orange for the city of...drum roll...Corleone. :)

Sicily_flag_L.jpg

That is one strange looking flag but great insight into the organes significance. Its always fun to try to figure out what certain symbols mean in movies.

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