TV-MA | 6 episodes | Historical Drama | 2024
Viewers might wonder why Ludwig “Lali” Eisenberg changed his surname to “Sokolov,” since it’s never explained in this series. There was a good reason. Before immigrating to Australia, the Slovakian Holocaust survivor concluded that a more Russian sounding name would be safer while he still lived under the communist regime.
Lali Sokolov was indeed a survivor who suffered from profound survivor’s guilt. After the death of his wife, the elderly Sokolov finally begins to therapeutically process his painful memories with the help of the writer he recruits to tell his life story in the six-part limited drama, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” based on Heather Morris’s biographical novel.
The elderly Sokolov (Harvey Keitel) remains in mourning for his beloved wife, Gita née Fuhrmannova, but he believes he must finally confront his past despite the pain that revisiting those horrors will likely cause. Frankly, Morris (Melanie Lynskey) has little writing experience when they first meet, but she volunteers anyway. Sokolov immediately likes her and grows to trust his pseudo-biographer, but his intense experiences are more than she bargained for.
An Infamous Concentration Camp
Eisenberg/Sokolov almost immediately witnesses murders of his fellow Jews as soon as he steps off the train. Yet his quick thinking and compassion helps save the man in line ahead of him (at least temporarily). That catches the attention of Pepan (Adam Karst), an experienced prisoner-tattooist.Soon, Eisenberg is also tattooing the infamous serial numbers on the arms of new arrivals who survive the selection process. Ironically, that is how he first meets the love of his life, Gita Fuhrmannova (Anna Prochniak). He does not even know her name, but a further chance encounter confirms that the attraction is mutual.
Survivor’s Guilt
Baretzki commits multiple murders in front of Eisenberg, out of sheer rage or sociopathic cruelty. Yet he occasionally helps the tattooist briefly visit his beloved Fuhrmannova. Eisenberg also enjoys better rations and somewhat more “private” sleeping quarters, because of his work under Baretzki and the SS.Consequently, Eisenberg/Sokolov refused to speak of his experiences for decades, fearing condemnation as a “collaborator.” Notably, he also carried guilt over the atrocities committed by the Red Army, in which he was an unwilling accomplice, during the weeks following his imprisonment in the camps.
To the credit of series writers Jacquelin Perske, Gabbie Asher, and Evan Placey, their adaptation of Ms. Morris’s bestseller indicts both the National Socialist and Soviet Socialist regimes. Instead of taking the easy way out, with a neat and tidy conclusion, the series shows how trauma persists over decades. It is often a poignant drama, but it is also brutally honest.
Mr. Hauer-King is no stranger to World War II-era period productions, having previously costarred in the 1940s Stalinist-era gulag drama “Ashes in the Snow” and PBS’s sprawling wartime series, “World on Fire.” He projects the appropriate romantic melancholy and visceral horror, depending on the nature of the scene. Likewise, Ms. Prochniak’s performance as Fuhrmannova is heartbreaking and harrowing.
Vile SS Officer
In contrast, the most memorable performance might be Mr. Nay’s work as Baretzki. Every second he is on screen, he portrays the SS officer as a vile monster, but in complicated, violently unpredictable ways. Arguably, the most comparably complex yet thoroughly evil portrayal of a National Socialist war criminal would be the Oscar-nominated Mr. Ralph Fiennes in “Schindler’s List.” It is easy to understand why Baretzki literally haunts Sokolov, intruding like a ghost, while he tries to tell Morris his story.There have been some criticisms of Ms. Morris’s novel, including the absence of any scenes inside the horrific gas chambers. However, the Peacock series never shies away from the deadly realities of Auschwitz. Despite Sokolov’s romance with Fuhrmannova, it never romanticizes the camps. Israeli director Tali Shalom-Ezer consistently finds the right tone throughout all six episodes. The way she cuts to solemn close-ups of each character to mark their death is a gut-punch that grows increasingly powerful (and painful) as the motif increases in frequency. As a result, this series represents Ms. Shalom-Ezer’s best work to date.
Sadly, it is uncomfortably apparent that high school and college students desperately need remedial Holocaust education. “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” can certainly help in that regard. The love story is highly accessible and the young couple are easy to relate to. This should simply be a moving drama, which indeed it is.
Unfortunately, it is also frighteningly timely, coming at a moment when anti-Jewish harassment is exploding on college campuses. Very highly recommended for mature audiences.
