Oranges were always present before the death scenes, even Brando’s improvised one.
Paramount Pictures/IMDb
In the year 2000, oranges were a symbol for death. “The Godfather,”The fruit made an appearance right before the death or shootout. It may have been more cinematic than symbolic, however.
His book “The Godfather Legacy”Harlan Lebo wrote about the making and editing of the film. “For [production designer] Dean Tavoularis, oranges were simply another carefully chosen compliment […] This film wasn’t going to be about bright colors, and oranges make a nice contrast,” as per Time.
Tavoularis said: “I don’t remember anybody saying, Hey, I like oranges as a symbolic message.”
Brando thought up Don Corelone’s death scene when he placed orange-peel faux fangs inside his mouth to scare him grandson.
“Once I’d seen him with the orange-peel fangs, I knew I could never shoot it any other way,” Coppola Playboy was told in 1975.