Vie et Passion du Christ

Vie et Passion du Christ is a 44-minute French silent film that was produced and released in 1903. As such, it is considered the first feature-length narrative film.
The film, with sequences made in the stencil color process Pathéchrome, takes a straightforward approach to its subject matter. All scenes are introduced by an inter-title giving the traditional name of the event followed by the actors playing out the familiar stories from the Gospels. Other than the scene titles, there are no other inter-titles. Many of the scenes attempt to recreate the illustrations of the life of Christ by Gustave Doré in detail.
In 1932, the film was re-issued in the U.S., distributed on a states-rights basis. Instead of the stencil coloring effect, however, the film was printed on red-tinted stock, with a musical score compiled by James C. Bradford.

Multiple Pathé Passion Play films

The original French title for the film was La Vie et la passion de Jésus Christ. At least ten different Passion Play films were released between 1897 and 1914, including three by Pathé in 1902, 1907, and 1914. The 1902 version was expanded and revised several times by Pathé before an all-new remake was released in 1907.

Legacy

The film was included by the Vatican in a list of important films compiled in 1995, under the category of "Religion". It is the oldest entry to make the list.