The version shown on TCM... not quite the original?

According to Wiki, "the print existing today is missing nearly a third of what was shown in theaters in 1926." Also, "Showings in 1920s Japan would have included live narration by a storyteller or benshi (弁士) as well as musical accompaniment."

Maybe this explains why the print shown on TCM was so confusing and came across as a jumbled mess. The score - at times pretty good, actually - seemed like it was done years (decades, even) after the film was made in the 1920s. In short, I don't think we got the "real deal" here. A confusing mess, but, it did have some interesting visuals here and there and, as mentioned, the score was entertaining in a few parts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Page_of_Madness