Akira Kurosawa made films of such visual power and moral seriousness that they reshaped cinema worldwide. Rashomon introduced the unreliable narrator to film. Seven Samurai became the template for every ensemble action movie. The Hidden Fortress inspired Star Wars. Yet in Japan, his uncompromising perfectionism and willingness to confront national shame made him controversial, and he attempted suicide after his industry turned against him.

This episode traces Kurosawa from his samurai-class childhood through the postwar masterpieces, the Hollywood influence, the suicide attempt, and the late-career renaissance funded by his most famous admirers — Spielberg, Lucas, and Coppola.

• Kurosawa's samurai-descended family and his early career in Japan's wartime studio system
• Rashomon, Seven Samurai, and the films that made him the  ...