This boxset contains not just three great films but also my favourite Japanese film of all time - Late Spring.
When Ozu made films in the 1940s and 1950s his films were not considered for export as they were considered "too Japanese". However, the wonderful characterisation in his films has since proven this to be wrong, and his films have made him the most internationally celebrated Japanese director ever.
Late Spring tells the story of a widower (Shukichi) who feels compelled to marry off his only daughter (Noriko). The relationship between these two is then carefully painted in awe inspiring detail so that you experience their love, loss, social pressures and pain with them. The film also contains, for me, the single most powerful use of music in cinema. It plays throughout, but the occasional silence can devestating, drawing you into the film cinematic and emotional heart like you never knew was possible.
The other two films in this boxset are similar family dramas, each with a central female character called Noriko and played Hara Setsuko. Again the details with which Ozu renders his characters are incredible, and Tokyo Story and Early Summer are also incredibly moving.
I love these films so must recommend them to anyone interested in films, Japan or human emotions.