South Korean blockbuster 'Taegukgi' is already getting rave reviews from U.S. newspapers, after it opened in the United States on Friday.

The Washington Post described the South Korean film with an English title, 'The Brotherhood of War,' as a 'tough and honest film,' portraying a human ordeal of the highest order.

The paper praised the film's director Kang Je-kyu for powerfully re-creating the chaos and capriciousness of battle, describing him "nearly as good as Steven Spielberg in his own war blockbuster 'Saving Private Ryan.'

The New York Times also introduced Kang as the Steven Spielberg of East Asia. In Friday's movie review, the paper said the theme of brotherly sacrifice was used in 'Taegukgi' for more than its melodramatic appeal, characterizing the division of the two Koreas.

An epic film depicting the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, 'Taegukgi' set domestic box office records earlier this year, attracting more than 11.6 million moviegoers out of the total South Korean population of 48 million.

'Taegukgi' opened in six U.S. cities Friday, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Honolulu.