"Most directors have one film for which they are known or possibly two," said Francis Ford Coppola. "Akira Kurosawa has eight or nine." Through masterpieces such as Kagemusha, Seven Samurai, and High and Low, Akira Kurosawa (1910-98) influenced directors from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to Martin Scorsese, and his groundbreaking innovations in cinematography and editing, combined with his storytelling, made him a cinematic icon...