It was fitting that the first major guild screening of "There Will be Blood" took place last night at the WGA theater on Doheny Blvd., considering Daniel Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview character was based largely on oil mogul Edward Doheny (in whose Beverly Hills home the film's climactic final scene was shot).

The crowd was a mixture of numerous guilds: WGA, SAG, ASC, and, of course, press.  Applause lit up the joint upon the film's closing credits, with notable rounds swelling up for Day-Lewis' credit and, interestingly, Robert Elswit's.

When moderator David Ansen introduced Paul Thomas Anderson for the Q&A, half the crowd lept to their feet in a standing ovation.  At first sight, it seemed the film was a hit, but I looked around at those who weren't standing, and they included many older guild members, as well as at least one notable Oscar-nominated producer who sat in front of me and seemed to be scowling as he patiently awaited the noise to settle.

Indeed, the third act clearly confused a considerable portion of the crowd, leaving a great number unsettled.  I talked to a SAG member outside during the reception who said the film was "a bit much," though there was no argument from her that the performances were outstanding.

Personally speaking, the film settled very nicely on a second viewing, filling in a few of the cracks I noticed upon an initial look, embossing other areas that remain bothersome to me (notably Paul Dano's performance, though he shed some light on this when addressing the notion that he was hired to take on the role of Eli Sunday at the last minute when the first actor wasn't up to the task).

Day-Lewis was the treat for the crowd, which showed grand affection for the actor's work both during the movie (via applause and laughter) and during the Q&A.

It was good to take in some critical responses afterward.  CHUD's Devin Faraci seemed to be a big fan, but wanted a second viewing before committing a review to print.  Jeffrey Wells told me one critic asked him, puzzled, "You saw it a SECOND TIME??"

Yes, it seems there might be a critical split waiting to happen, just as appeared to be the case with the guild members in attendance last night.