A Review of ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ -- Episode 101 -- Pictured: (l-r) Ilan Galkoff as Aaron & Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov in Auschwitz -- (Photo by: Martin Mlaka/Sky UK)

It has often been said that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, and there is much merit to that particular lesson. Because time and time again, we’ve seen humanity in some form or fashion… repeat its mistakes. Which we believe happens because of the silliest of reasons. Since we lay blame upon our short-term memories or speak to how perhaps comfort and routine allows for concerns and worries about missteps to fade away. But truth be told, those are just excuses, and the reality of the matter is… that we repeat our mistakes for several reasons. One of which is the sheer fact that we do a rough job of imparting important history lessons upon the next generation, allowing for the gravity of history to fade and also because… we don’t stand up enough.
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For sometimes those who wish to rewrite history or attempt to repeat the mistake at hand, receive far too much agency and far too much power, and there’s no collective call out demanding they sit down and shut up. All of which begs an important question… how then… do we keep ourselves from making the same mistakes twice? Well, for starters, we must be vigilant and stand tall when the foolish speak and point out that bravery accomplishes what silence cannot… and… we MUST find a way to impart the lessons at hand so they are not repeated and one way to do that, is through storytelling. The kind that is raw, visceral, and honest about why history cannot be repeated, and it just so happens… that Peacock is about to be home to a story that does just that.

For Thursday May 2, 2024, will see the debut of the limited series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a story that takes the time to reflect upon one of the worst atrocities ever committed in human history, the Holocaust. Wherein, six million Jewish people were exterminated by the Nazi Regime during World War II as part of one twisted man’s “final solution” to create the perfect race, and we want to take a moment today to discuss the importance of this series. One, that yes, tells an incredible story. For this tale, based on the book by Heather Morris, chronicles the life of one Lali Sokolov, through his memories, when he was a prisoner of the Nazi Regime in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, and where he spent a fair number of years in there… tattooing identification numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners.

Which brings forth a fascinating bit of history for certain, and it also includes a bit of a love story to boot. Giving us a taste of hope in a bleak place amid a bleak time in history. But we won’t be getting into the details of the plot today, we will do that via our individual recaps of the show. No instead, it’s necessary to talk about why why you need to watch this series the instant it arrives. Simply because, this is a World War II/Concentration Camp story… that holds nothing back about what Lali experienced within the walls of this horrific and infamous death camp. For he is privy to great and stunning moments of suffering. The kind that showcases how horrific life was in these camps, and well… this is where the story is truly able to hammer home the importance of this moment in history and why it can never be repeated.

Because this series, showcases in great detail, how the Nazi Regime held life in little regard, and how that motivated soldiers in this camp to impart cruelty and wanton abuse upon human beings who deserved no such treatment, in a manner that will make you supremely uncomfortable. Because you will watch that suffering in real time, you will see hope drain from the eyes of the people present in this man-made hell. You will weep because of it, you will feel sick to your stomach, for indignity is everywhere in Auschwitz and that… is the point. Because this was a dark moment in our history, one that we have forgotten the gravity of, and we need to be reminded of that through honesty. To impart the lessons learned here upon the next generation.

All of which makes this a stunning series, one that is indeed chilling and devastating, but also timely and important. Since hate is on the rise and the voices are growing louder again, and hopefully this series, helps to make a difference in keeping such evil and outright nonsense at bay. Courtesy of a moving and powerful, and downright poignant tale that showcases the suffering and strife we are capable of imparting, but also how the human spirit cannot be broken, and what makes us worth saving, to teach us. To be better, to be more, and to share these stories and the lessons they send our way over and over and over again… so that this atrocity is never repeated… and so the voices are forever afraid to spew their poison and their hate.

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