... I do believe that there are auteurs, in the sense that there are filmmakers with very strong voices and their voices are communicated on to the screen without a lot of compromise. When you look at a Kubrick or a Scorsese or a Jean Luc Goddard film, it is obvious that they are the auteur of that language and tone.
However, I think those guys would have to admit that it is a massively collaborative process. In some instances, I would say the writer does deserve equal billing with the director. In other instances the director -- especially if he wrote part of the script himself -- is clearly more the author of the movie. -- on if screenwriters should receive equal credit to directors