Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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Emak-Bakia
(1926)
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This experimental short film, directed by Man Ray, features a number of French celebrities.
Elements of the film are repeated from Man Ray’s earlier Le retour à la raison (1923), with a substantial amount of new live-action footage, multiple exposures and movement studies.
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 The Criterion Collection
2025 Blu-ray Disc edition
Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray (1923-1929), black & white, 70 minutes total, not rated, including Emak-Bakia (1926), black & white, 20 minutes, not rated.
The Criterion Collection, CC3752BD
(collection number 1291), UPC 7-15515-32581-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at ? Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound encoded at 3.8 Mbps avarage audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); 12-page insert booklet; standard BD keepcase; $39.95.
Release date: 2 December 2025.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
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This Blu-ray Disc edition has been scanned at 4K resolution from a first-generation 35mm nitrate print held by the Library of Congress, with two missing shots inserted from a duplicate 35mm print held by the Centre Pompidou. The scans have been digitally stabilized and lightly cleaned, with a few examples of dust, speckling, scratches, hairs-in-the-gate, and other print flaws remaining. The results are not flawless but are still quite pleasing.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed by Sqürl (Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan).
Supplemental material includes an interview regarding the music for the films by and with Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan (9 minutes); “Sqürl, Man Ray’s Backing Band,” footage of a 2023 concert of Jarmusch and Logan performing their music for May Ray films (77 minutes); and a 12-page accordion-fold insert booklet including an essay by Mark Polizzotti, with notes about the films and restorations.
For information about other films in this collection, see our Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray on home video page.
This is our recommended home video edition of the film.
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This
Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .
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 Kino on Video
2005 DVD edition
Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and ’30s (1921-1947), black & white, 360 minutes total, not rated, including Emak-Bakia (1926), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated.
Kino International, K402, UPC 7-38329-04022-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 sNTSC DVD disc (two DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 4.8 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles (selected films); no chapter stops (within the film); two-page insert sheet; double-wide two-disc DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 2 August 2005.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 7 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from what appears to be a 35mm print, once held by Raymond Rohauer, that is quite flecked with dust, speckling, schmutz, fine vertical scratches and emulsion scuffing, and other print flaws.
The film is accompanied by a spacey music score composed and performed by Paul Mercer.
Supplemental material includes film notes by film critic/historian Elliott Stein, and optional English language subtitles (on selected films).
For information about other films in this collection, see our Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and ’30s on home video page.
This remains our recommended DVD home video edition of the film.
This review was updated in 2026.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Nostalgia Family Video
2010 DVD edition
Avant Garde Short Subjects from France (1915-1928), black & white, 70 minutes total, not rated, including Emak-Bakia (1926), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Nostalgia Family Video, 5253D, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops; clamshell CD case; $14.99.
Release date: 2010.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print. The disc has no navigation menu, chapter stops or package artwork and is sold in a clear clamshell case.
For information about other films in this collection, see our Avant Garde Short Subjects from France on home video page.
Over the years, this company has released DVD-R editions under a number of company names, with the same catalog number and UPC number, including Nostalgia Family Video, Hollywood’s Attic, RetroFlix, and (as of 2015) Reel Vault.
If you own a copy of this disc please consider loaning it to us to review for documentation purposes. We pay postage both ways.
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NOSTALGIA FAMILY VIDEO has discontinued business
and this DVD-R edition is . . .
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Other AVANT-GARDE FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
Other FRENCH FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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