I think we should always draw the line between what we think the director intended, and what we think the film is saying. For me, what the director intended is mostly irrelevant as I usually focus on the product itself. It can be of course interesting at times, but I have the feeling that too many people interchange the director and the film, which is a bad thing imo. But in the end it's difficult to know what the director wanted to express, unless you ask him. I found out many times how little some directors intended, and how much more complex the film was. But again, usually it is the other way around. 
If only most films were as good as their director's wanted them to be...