Various types of male roles in Let the Bullets Fly. [Global Times]

Star-studded cast

With A-list Chinese actors Chow Yun-fat, Ge You and Jiang himself starring, and other top actors and actress such as Chen Kun, Hu Jun and Carina Lau in supporting roles, the film blazes with star power. "Chow's acting is as excellent as usual, even a bit wilder and crazier, due to his role in the film; Ge's comic acting is also very successful," said Jiang.

Jiang said the film is designed to appeal to female viewers, with the heroes got up in cowboy gear, riding horses, and strutting their stuff.

"The film is specially made for women, since there are various types of handsome men in it, whom women will love seeing fighting in the film. There are romance and love scenes as well," Jiang laughed.

"The action and fight scenes are filmed in a good way, not sick violence and bloody scenes," he said, adding that a scene among the three leading actors Chow, Ge and himself is a high point of the film.

Suspense and comedy

The rapid pace of the film is reflected by its use of more than 4,000 separate shots in Let the Bullets Fly. The film's rapid twists and sudden surprises keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

"One of my friends said Let the Bullets Fly is so complicated that can be narrated into another eight separate stories, but that's how I want to make my film to be like.

"I like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese's films, where there's always a huge amount of information and detail. An action film with a simple and predictable story is way too boring," said the ambitious director.

As is common with Chinese action movies, the tone of the film changes rapidly from drama to comedy to suspense. But unlike the often somber tone of Jiang's previous movies, this time humor prevails. At a preview screening in Beijing last week, laughter filled the theater. "I cannot recall what is the funniest part of the film, because there was a constant barrage of comedy," 28-year-old white collar worker Tan Li told the Global Times.