Symbolism question about The Godfather (Part1)

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

Okay, forgive me, I'm just a dumb girl. I watched The Godfather (p. 1) tonight. I've watched it before but I never noticed the "orange" symbolism when it come to Kay-Adams-Corleone.

She's wearing orange at the wedding; her "kids" are wearing orange when Michael visits her after being away for a year in Italy; Vito Corleone's grandson was wearing an orange-striped overalls when he died in the garden.

Ok, I'm not dumb, I "get" the literal ORANGE symbolism (when Don C gets shot at the green grocer!). Mojo will probably ream me (or any other Godfather fan), but what's with the "orange" (especially when it comes to Michael's wife?)

Yeah, I plan on getting NO responses to this thread.

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[TheGameHHH]

I only read the book, I feel very dumb for not noticing any orange symbolism whatsoever.

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Thanks ADF

[bam44]

Mabye orange is the color of a misrable, failed life. Kay dosent seem to happy with her life and look at Billy's failed existence,Mabye orange is the color of misery.

Nice Girl, Nice Family...

[flipper21]

This may help:

http://www.eeggs.com/items/6720.html


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Happy Holidays to all!

[TheMojoPin]

It's not just death, it also symbolizes upcoming loss, in terms of people leaving, or being cast out. It's actually one of the more heavy-handed uses of symbolism in a film that good, kinda sloppy and art school-y, which is probably why Coppola doesn't even address it too often when he talks about the film these days.

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VP #2 for the Coalition of Angry Micks, and Minister of Bloody Mayhem.
"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."

[ChrisTheCop]

When u see orange, it means he's about to see dead people. (or make them)

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[A.J.]

From Coppola himself:

Ann looks at a bum in the park and says: Oh, how sad. That line is playing later on the tapes when Harry's lying on the cot, and the model from the convention, Meredith, is talking. Suddenly he's the poor bum, and Meredith's words and those on the tape become interchangeable.

Right. There are some things, in a film like this one, that are by design and some things that just happen. It's like the oranges in The Godfather. Everyone makes a big deal about the symbol of the orange in The Godfather. I mean, we kept using an orange, but we didn't see it as a symbol. We'd say, well, have him come in and bring an orange, because he's from Florida. It wasn't in my mind as a motif. Editorially, we started to realize that it was a motif. In your high school creative writing class, that's always the discussion. The idea of analyzing a scene, seeing something in a piece of writing, and then the author says: I didn't intend it. But that's all right, because you did intend it, but in ways you don't know. Or you gravitated toward it or it was part of your psychology. Just the fact that you chose it means something.

http://www.scenariomag.com/interviews/coppola.html

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[Contra]

yeah what he said...

don't worry too much about it alice and just appreciate the masterpiece film that it is.

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[TheMojoPin]

Uhm, it IS appreciating a film when you notice careful little details like that. Coppola basically said "well, I didn't MEAN to always use an orange, but everything happens for a reason." Regardless of whether he meant to use them, they foreshadow significant moments of death or seperation in the film.

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VP #2 for the Coalition of Angry Micks, and Minister of Bloody Mayhem.
"You can tell some lies about the good times you've had/But I've kissed your mother twice and now I'm working on your dad..."

[ChickenHawk]

Reminds me of red in Sixth
Sense.
Also, orange repusents failure on
the Ron & Fez show too.
I wish there was less Orange
Symbolism and more Yellow
Discipline.


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"And I think a guy's dropping mud on 12, so don't look up." -Ron

[Contra]

Uhm, it IS appreciating a film when you notice careful little details like that.


i didnt say dont notice it, i just said don't worry so much about it.

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[hyperspace]

holy shit!! i am part italian and have seen the godfather 1/2/3 100 times and never noticed this!!! you lern something new every day!!! thanks Alice!!

[Bob Impact]

What about the aspect of the rarity of oranges in Italy during the early part of this century. They were used by early italian-American Mafia members to show affluence or prosperity to other Italians.

:edit: maybe I should read the WHOLE link before I post. What a Dummy. I stink!
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This message was edited by Bob Impact on 12-8-02 @ 11:53 PM