The six-part series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, adapts Lali Sokolov’s memoir about his time at the infamous concentration camp in Poland during World War II. Harvey Keitel portrays Sokolov, who recounts his experiences to newcomer writer Heather Morris, played by Melanie Lynskey. The show uses flashbacks to Sokolov’s time at Auschwitz where he was tasked with tattooing identification numbers on fellow Jewish prisoners’ arms, specifically focusing on his relationship with fellow detainee Gita. The couple falls in love, putting both of their lives at risk.
In the sixth and final episode, Lali visits Auschwitz with Heather, his first trip back since his release. A vision of Gita holding their child Gary greets him. The final scene sees Lali with a smile as he approaches Gita, lying next to her on the bed. This ending suggests that the memoirist, after recounting his story, can now accept his past and finally find peace. The end credits reveal that Lali quietly passed away on October 31, 2006. In 2018, Heather Morris published Lali’s story under the title, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Author Heather Morris said in an interview with The Guardian that 95% of the novel is historically accurate and thoroughly researched, with any deviations only from minor dramatic license. Nonetheless, the Auschwitz Memorial Research Centre reported several errors in Morris’s published work, including the pseudonyms used for certain SS officers and a mistake in Gita’s tattooed four-digit number. The Auschwitz Memorial Research Centre ruled that Morris’s book “is an impression about Auschwitz inspired by authentic events, almost without any value as a document” due to its number of factual errors. The TV adaptation addresses these inaccuracies by presenting Lali as discovering and coming to terms with his suppressed memories and distorted perceptions of reality.
In summary, The Tattooist of Auschwitz provides a valuable and sobering reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust, with a poignant ending that delivers the message of the importance of coming to terms with past trauma. Though the authenticity of the memoir can be disputed, the show offers a heartrending portrayal of the tale, ending with the timeless theme of discovering humanity amidst inhumanity. You can stream the show on Sky Atlantic
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