Setsuko Hara
Ozu's films from the late 1940s onward were favourably received, and the entries in the so-called "Noriko trilogy" (starring Setsuko Hara) of "Late Spring" (1949), "Early Summer" (1951), and "Tokyo Story" (1953) are among his most acclaimed works, with "Tokyo Story" widely considered his masterpiece. Late Spring, the first of these films, was the beginning of Ozu's commercial success and the development of his cinematography and storytelling style. These three films were followed by his first colour film, "Equinox Flower," in 1958, "Floating Weeds" in 1959, and "Late Autumn" in 1960. In addition to Noda, other regular collaborators included cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta, along with the actors Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara, and Haruko Sugimura.