CITIZEN KANE and THE GODFATHER are about growing up and becoming a man, but more importantly, what kind of men do Charles Foster Kane and Michael Corleone become?  How?  And Why?

Both Kane and Michael were boys who inherited great sums of wealth and power.  Kane by way of his mother through a benefactor and Michael by way of his father by taking over "the family olive oil business" (a huge criminal empire).  Both Kane and Corleone become menschs in a perverted light.  When Kane must confront Susan Alexander and his wife at the same time, he proclaims that he will not let this man "take the love of the people away from him."  In Kane's own mind he had chosen the society of the USA over his own community--his family.  But in reality, Kane was an idiot, full of vain and self-glorification, who had actually chosen his own personal desires -- "the love of the people" -- over his duty to his family.  Michael Corleone is a vicious idiot to the society of the USA, but a mensch in his own society--his family.  Michael takes this to the extreme whereby he kills his brother-in-law and his own brother when they jeopardize the greater good of the family.

Both Kane and Michael consciously thought they were escaping fate, but consequently were making conscious efforts to seal their destinies.  Kane prints a declaration of principles in The Enquirer pledging honesty and ethical journalism.  However, in the previous scene, Kane had already made his real intentions clear of yellow journalism by making his business "the gossip of housewives."  Michael always disobeyed his father and did the opposite of what everyone felt he should do.  Such is the case when he joined the Marines.  It was no surprise when Michael came up with and executed the plan to assassinate Sollozo and a Police Captain to save his father and the family.

CITIZEN KANE and THE GODFATHER are Kane's and Michael's stories, not just because of the title, but because they have the power.  Kane had an almost all encompassing power through his wealth.  He tried to wield this power in a menschly fashion to make people love him.  He tried to win the people with his paper and gubernatorial race.  He tried to win Susan by making her an opera singer.  However, in either case these were never the requests of the people, but Kane's own self imposition.  This power eventually aliented Kane from everyone around.  Emily left him during the election scandal and after nearly keeping Susan captive in Xanadu, she finally flees.  In Kay's case, she is literally held captive when Tom disallows her to go shopping via Michael's orders. 

Michael too possess wealth and all encompassing power, however his situation is much more interesting.  Michael was caught in a classic Catch 22.  Because of the nature of the family business, in order to guarantee survival of his family and children -- which is literally life itself -- he has no choice, but to become a murderous Czar.  In the world in which Michael lives, any sign of weakness would mean the immediate extermination of his family and children.  When Michael's grandfather chose to quarrel with Don Cicci, his grandfather had sealed the destinies of the rest of his ancestors, that being "kill or be killed."  By the same token in which Michael must be a Godfather because of his love for his family, his role as Godfather is that which alienates him from his family.  Such is the case when Kay aborts her baby, and when Fredo almost confessess (to be involved to the assassination attempt on Michael in his home) in Cuba when he asks why they couldn't have "sat down and talked before."  Michael's own sister, Connie, has to wait in line and take a number at her nephew's birthday party just to get an opportunity to speak to Michael.

The character relationships in CITIZEN KANE and THE GODFATHER are similar whereby everyone is connected to either Kane or Michael in some fashion, however, in THE GODFATHER, in addition to a circular relationship of characters, there is also a hierarchical relationship.  In CITIZEN KANE, the other major characters are usually not in the scene when they are describong their version of Kane.  If other characters are in the scene, their presence is minimal and whittled away to what is necessary for the other character to tell his or her story.  It is also interesting to note that the way the other characters are portrayed in someone else's version of Kane, they are not the same as they describe themselves in their own portrayal of Kane.  None-the-less, the main characters in Kane had a direct relationship with Kane. 

All of the main characters in THE GODFATHER, possess a direct link to Michael, but their actual relationship ship is funneled through a hierarchy.  After the death of Sonny and Vito, Tom Haegen was the closest to Michael in terms of time and knowledge of what transpires in his life.  However, he and Tom never truly bond.  There is a moment when Michael tells Tom that he is a brother and that he will be the Don and Tom says that he always wanted to be thought of as Michael's brother.  However, we can see in Michael's eyes the distance the still lies between them.  Michael and Tom could have been great friends, but he does not let Tom get close enough to him and he sends him away just as Kane did with Jebadiah Leland.  Kay posses some influence over Michael because of their love, but it is an actual surrogate power through his love for the children.  When Kay attempts to take his children away, thus break up the family, she forfeits her influence and becomes an enemy of the family.  Her own son won't even kiss her.  Connie is on an even lower level because she has to speak to her mother, Tom, or Kay to speak to Michael.  And the lowest rung of them all is Fredo.  Connie, who is already beneath everyone else, has to beg for Fredo's life.  However, to preserve the survival of the family as a unit, not just individuals, Michael must forfeit the life of his own brother.

— Christopher C. Odom