The film stars Heath Ledger in the lead role as William Thatcher

A film featuring Heath Ledger praised as “the greatest of all time” is broadcasting on Channel 4 this afternoon.

The picture stars the late Hollywood legend as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who masquerades as a knight and enters tournaments, earning glory and forging bonds with historical figures including Edward the Black Prince (James Purefoy) and Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany).

The 14th-century tale is deliberately anachronistic, packed with contemporary pop culture nods and a soundtrack boasting 1970s hits.

The movie draws its title from Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, featured in The Canterbury Tales, whilst also borrowing numerous storylines from Chaucer’s writings.

Columbia Pictures distributed the film in the United States on May 11, 2001 to divided critical reception, earning $117.5 million against a $65 million budget, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Boasting a 59% score on Rotten Tomatoes, cinema enthusiasts have shared candid opinions about the movie.

One fan wrote: “A film lacking in polish but more than makes up for it with heart.

“A feel-good story for the masses about man born to nothing, who gets lucky and uses that opportunity to make his mark, not by right of birth, but by the virtues of bravery, tenacity, and kindness.”

A second commented: “This one aged well, I think. Heartbreaking in retrospect of the tragic loss of leading man Heath Ledger, but also one of the films that helped launch the careers of Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy and others.

“It’s just fun to watch if you love romantic stories cast in the back drop of the time of knights, lords and ladies, despicable villains and unapologetically uplifting happy endings.”

A third viewer chimed in: “Perfect movie for anachronistic lovers! Miss Heath tremendously.”

A fourth fan concurred: “This is one is the greatest movies of all time.”

Ledger was filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus when he died in January 2008. He had completed roughly half of his scenes as the character Tony when he died from an accidental overdose.

To finish the film, director Terry Gilliam had three other actors—Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law—take over Ledger’s role for the surreal, internal scenes, making it a tribute to the late actor.

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A Knight’s Tale airs on Channel 4 at 12.50pm on Saturday, October 11