"'Let the Bullets Fly' is my gift to the audience", said Jiang Wen in his studio.

An Mtime.com reporter interviewed Jiang Wen, director of "Let the Bullets Fly," which had a strong debut in China's New Year's box office season.

The interview is as follows:

Reporter: What do you think of the artistic and commercial quality in China's movie market?

Jiang Wen: I don't know about the market, but in my opinion, filmmakers, including directors, actors and screenwriters, should concentrate on the work at hand, just like a craftsman. They would confuse themselves if their attention were divided. Investors, producers and publishing companies are in charge of the market. Everyone takes care of his business. For my previous movies, I did everything, and I was so tired; but this time producer Ma Ke helped me so much. I was able to concentrate on filming.

Reporter: As a product of the movie industry, do movies have to sacrifice their artistic value in order to be marketable?

Jiang Wen: I don't think so. Anything is just itself originally. When it enters the market, then it becomes a product. Take a table, for example: when a carpenter makes a table, he treats it like a work of art. He doesn't care how much it sells for on the market.

Reporter: How many movies do you have in your mind? Are you going to put them on-screen?

Jiang Wen: I have a dozen of movies in my mind, but filming is not my entire life - I have other interests. Though a screenwriter has many stories to tell, I can make a film well only when I am in a good mood.

Reporter: Since you mentioned screenwriters, "Let the Bullets Fly" had more screenwriters than your other works. How do you control the work of the screenwriters to keep the unity of the film?

Jiang Wen: Nothing special. Just put a lot of time and effort into the script. An American screenwriter told me a complete script needs revising at least 16 times to make it natural.

Reporter: What did you mean when you said "Let the Bullets Fly" is close to the essence of a movie, and the "The Sun Also Rises" is close to the essence of life?

Jiang Wen: To me, "The Sun Also Rises" is a gift from God and "Let the Bullets Fly" is a gift to the audience.

Reporter: What do you think of the negative reviews "Let the Bullets Fly" has gotten?

Jiang Wen: I like to hear those reviews, but the thing is that people shouldn't make comments without careful consideration first. A rash comment is an act of irresponsibility.