An epic historical drama has been celebrated as both an “underrated movie” and “a timeless classic” – and it’s showing on Film4 this evening. Released in 1992, The Last Of The Mohicans features Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, and Jodhi May in a sweeping tale of passion amid violence and treachery.

The narrative follows frontiersman Hawkeye (portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis), the adopted son of Mohican chief Chingachgook, as he and his brothers escort British Colonel Munro’s daughters, Cora and Alice, across perilous terrain during the French and Indian War. Meanwhile, a fervent romance blossoms between Hawkeye and Cora whilst they face savage confrontations with the vengeful Huron warrior Magua.

The story chronicles their harrowing trek to Fort William Henry, encompassing betrayal, siege combat, and a heartbreaking struggle for survival and affection against a backdrop of intensifying colonial warfare.

Despite being more than three decades old, The Last Of The Mohicans remains renowned for Daniel Day-Lewis’s immersive method acting – he lived in the wilderness during preparation – and its meticulous authenticity, including genuine Native American languages spoken by performers such as Wes Studi (who portrayed Cherokee), reports The Mirror.

The production also boasted elaborate, costly sets, with the Fort William Henry reconstruction alone requiring $6 million (roughly £4.8 million), whilst Michael Mann’s exacting, naturalistic directorial approach created punishing shooting conditions with numerous retakes, ultimately earning an Academy Award for Best Sound.

On Rotten Tomatoes, film enthusiasts have heaped praise on the production, with one declaring: “Never takes a false step. This is a director’s movie through and through and all the better for it.”

Another remarked: “They just don’t make it like before, do they? Such an underrated movie. One of my favourite soundtracks of all time; Trevor Jones is a beast.”

A third viewer enthused: “Epic. I remember watching this at the age of 13 and it stirring all these emotions, and somehow every re-watch pulls on those same heart strings. It’s a beautiful love story. The soundtrack is iconic – that phrase is thrown around too much but it may be the best score ever written for a film. Cinematography is amazing.”

One fan commented: “Timeless classic – the actors, the heroism, romanticism, the spatial soundtrack are tasty treat to eyes and ears.”

A fifth reviewer noted: “I saw this film as a teenager when it released in theatres, and it still hasn’t lost any of its power. A truly unique and moving experience you don’t want to miss. One of the few films that may justifiably claim to be better than the book.”

Meanwhile, another observed: “It’s interesting to me that it won the 1993 Academy Award for sound because the sound was terrible at times. Now the music score was fine, the overall sound not so much.”

The film has been widely celebrated as a masterpiece, with one supporter urging: “Absolute classic. One of my top five of all time. Try and find a decent copy of the theatrical version though. The directors and extended cuts are too dark and make some other weird editing choices.”

Another fan chimed in: “A timeless classic. The audio soundtrack is stellar as well. If you haven’t seen this movie by now, do yourself a favour and watch it!”

One critic went a step further, praising: “Epic cinematography combined with a beautiful musical score helped create this masterpiece. The acting is beyond brilliant and the performances of Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeline Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, and others are brilliant. Worth watching again and again.”

The Last Of The Mohicans airs on Thursday, January 22 on Film4 at 11.05pm.