In The Godfather’s cinematic masterpiece, the Symbolism of Oranges is a Pivotal Element that Foreshadows Death & Tragedy.
When Vito Corleone is buying oranges in the street, he gets shot. As he falls to the ground, the oranges scatter across the street, symbolizing the chaos and disruption that his death will bring. 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.
The Godfather's use of oranges as a premonition of death or danger has set a cinematic trend. Many other films have since copied this use, a testament to the enduring influence of this classic.