The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2024) User Reviews

A disturbing but also moving series

[scrubber · 9/10 · 13 May 2024]

This is a fine series recounting the horrors of the nazi death camp, auschwitz. The story is told by Lali Sokolov, played in old age by Harvey Keitel who is recounting his story to budding Australian writer Heather Morris played by Melanie Lynskey.

It tells us how Lali became the Auschwitz tatooist which means he tatoo's the prison number on the arm of all new arrivals. In doing this he meets Gita, Anna Prochniak, and they immediately bond so he then seeks her out in the femail quarters where their relationship develops.

As the tatooist has relative freedom in the camp, with even his own room, an SS officer, Stefan Baretski played by Jonas Nay is appointed to supervise him. This, for me, was one of the most fascinating aspects of the story. A strange relationship develops between captive and captor. While Baretski demonstrates his evil side with violence and killing, including beating Lali occasionally, he is clearly not a happy soldier and uses Lali as an emotional crutch. To show a slightly more humane side to his character he often enables private meetings for Lali with Gita.

While auschwitz is shown as an evil place with frequent views of the gas chambers and incinerators, I still think that life for the average prisoner was much worse than portrayed here.

However this is a disturbing and also moving watch which I highly recommend.

In an era when 'Nazi' and 'Fascist' is frequently used to tarnish people for simply having a different opinion, often by people who should know better, this serves as a reminder of what Nazism and Fascism really is.

A very emotional series

[droidster-07654 · 8/10 · 3 May 2024]

Having grown up with Gary (Lali & Gina's son) this was emotional and difficult series to watch. His parents were a lovely couple and am happy to have known them. The complete helplessness you feel at Auschwitz & the despair is perfectly portrayed. It also must be mentioned that even though the area is heavily tree lined but there are no birds... Many of the barracks have been burnt down but those that remain send a chill to every part of the body. Reminders of yhe millions who passed through the gates are evident in the cell blocks. I could not bring myself to go into the gas chamber. A perfect example of man's inhumanity to man.

An Emotional Roller Coaster.

[efctj · 9/10 · 4 May 2024]

As i write the current rating here is 6.9, i should expect that to rise over the coming weeks as more and more discover this gem of a series. It is, as one would expect, a tough watch. I felt sad, sick and angry whilst viewing this. A powerful subject that has been covered many times over the years and i would say this series is up amongst the best films/series covering the holocaust. Outstanding acting from all the main characters coupled with the bleak scenery befitting the storyline, this is a 'must see' series. Be prepared to shed some tears. Be prepared to be ashamed of some of the human race, and be prepared to witness the power of love.

Critics are way off base on this. One word Captivated

[joshgor · 10/10 · 2 May 2024]

I created an account just to write this review. This is incredibly done. I can't believe that it only got a 6.0/10. I watched the entire series in one sitting and usually I physically cannot do that. What a story and I am so happy that I found this series.

The way that the cast depicted the story, is both haunting and beautiful. There was not a single thing that I saw that I said "no way, that's not real". This story is incredibly eye opening, I cannot recommend this series enough. Watch this at your own risk, there is a lot of violence, sexual content, etc.

This is not for the faint at heart, it gets very real and heavy.

Every one should watch this.

[gpfisher · 10/10 · 15 May 2024]

Beyond moved having experienced this incredible show. From the acting, music through to the raw pain and truth on display, absolutely blown away with this show. This is a true story, of one man's journey, that should be told the world over. We can never forget the horrors of the holocaust, and the Tattooist of Auschwitz is a crucial part of this.

The lengths the actors, directors and producers went to to do justice to those who endured the holocaust is commendable. Jewish actors for Jewish role, Polish for Polish etc. The piano music is also from an authentic piano from the 1940s belonging to the grandmother of the score composer. The detail in this show is phenomenal.

SUPERB

[sherpro-13339 · 9/10 · 2 May 2024]

I only watched this series as I was sitting at home in the rain and I was a bit bored.

Thank god I did as it engaged through every minute as a beautiful and haunting piece of art and searingly honest in its meticulous presentation.

I was born in 1941 and obviously only a baby during the time of Auschwitz but somehow the series attached me from that shared time.

I read a stunning review by Chris Jones which says everything I wanted to say but in a much better way. Here is part of his review but I strongly recommend you read his whole review.

REVIEW: Come with me on a journey through history, where THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ charts a course through the shadows and lights of human resilience. This series captures the full spectrum of emotions in the life of Lali Sokolov, a man whose scars from the past are as profound as his victories over them. Everything about this series will make you think and feel, making you question how so many people had the incredible strength to overcome and persevere.

We're introduced to a young Lali, played by Jonah Hauer-King, who arrives at Auschwitz and is immediately handed the grave responsibility of tattooing prisoners with a permanent reminder of what has become one of the most disheartening "memories" in world history. This role tests every fiber of his moral being. Amid this darkness, he encounters Gita, whose role is filled with strength and grace by Anna Próchniak. Their love story blossoms under the strict and menacing gaze of Nazi officer Stefan Baretzki, chillingly portrayed by Jonas Nay.

The series doesn't just linger in the past; it also explores Lali's later years. Harvey Keitel takes on the role, bringing a layered and poignant performance as he decides to open up about his torturous past to Heather Morris, a character given depth by Melanie Lynskey's portrayal. This framing adds a reflective dimension to the series, making the audience ponder the enduring effects of Lali's traumatic experiences. The journey from the past to the present is a powerful way to show this trip through time and the scars left on a human soul.

Incredible production

[louise-adams-53734 · 10/10 · 3 May 2024]

I don't think that I have watched anything that moved me so much. The horrors of the camp were so well portrayed. At times it was overwhelming but the excellent way in which the series was produced as well as the quality of the acting made me keep watching. I could not stop. The story was ultimately one of love and hope in the absolute darkest of times. Everyone should watch it to see the depths of human nature but also the goodness that can survive in spite of that. It is productions like this one that need to be seen by everyone to prevent this ever happening again. Well done to everyone involved.

Captivating and superb

[allison-joffe · 10/10 · 3 May 2024]

I was hooked from episode one and binge watched it in 2 days. Based on a book of the same name. An amazing production I would recommend that you watch it. We all need to be reminded of a very dark part of history. In the midst of all the horror and sadness there is a love story and friendships. Great acting from all the cast. I did cry but who wouldn't!! The interaction between Lali and the German soldier was captivating to watch. Acts of small kindness from the soldier followed by acts of violence and cruelty. The story is told through Lali as an older man talking to the writer of his book. A must watch. Totally recommend it.

Top notch adaptation.

[andrewpugh607 · 9/10 · 2 May 2024]

The initial low rating for this, 6.0, is quite perplexing. High quality drama with a real feeling of the absolute bleakness, randomness and inhumanity that existed in these camps. Yet showing human spirit and humanity amongst people treated as inhuman by their captors. Really well acted with every character having depth. I think enjoying it is probably the wrong word but it is quality tv Not quite a perfect 10, I did appreciate the value of moving beween ww2 and the present day but it was done a bit too frequently for me and disrupted the drama a bit. And old Lali had an accent which young Lali didnt..did he develop it in Australia?

Never Forget. Never Again

[GCBH80 · 5 May 2024]

This was not an easy watch FOR ME. My paternal great grandparents were from Bohemia (now Slovakia previously Czechoslovakia during WW II) - they left during the 1918 pogroms. My maternal grandmother and her sister were put on an English Kindertransport ship to England (from German) after Kristallnacht in late 1938.

Lale, was what we were taught, a Kapo or Sonderkommando (you will need to watch the series to understand) I was finally able to watch this, as an adult with the necessary compassion, empathy, understanding and possibly even *forgiveness* that the Jewish people had "only 2 choices, the bad one or the worse one".

I do think they missed an opportunity to show just how bad conditions were in the camps, particularly given that Lale and Gita were in Birkenau for (I think) almost 3 years and we didn't see the brutal winters and oppressive summers or the starvation

The story is an *easy watching* Holocaust movie - an oxymoron if ever there was such a thing. It is primarily a love story with a smidgeon of brutality and depravity by the SS & Nazi's thrown in to give us a miniscule idea of life in the camps

Nonetheless, it is an important series to watch given the current rise of anti-semitism that is prevalent in the world today. It is a beautiful story filled with tenderness, love and hope

Harvey Keitel was outstanding. His performance as Lale (senior) had me sobbing. I will definitely re-watch this and even if you are not Jewish, not interested in WW II, not a fan of love stories - this is still an absolute must-watch. It is the kind of story that reminds us of the power of love and that we must never give up hope.

Good story

[Filmwatcher201 · 6/10 · 5 May 2024]

I think although the story is incredibly interesting and captivating, I felt the characters lacked depth and the emotional side was not portrayed very well. In the last episode where they show the real Lali interview was something that was hard to watch, if they brought some of that vulnerability in the series I think it would have been better. Something that slightly annoyed me was that the actor who played young Lali was the only one who had an English accent. However, overall still an amazing story and the fact it is based on true events makes it all the worth while to watch, so I definitely recommend to watch or even to read!

Heartbreaking love story

[Gav-7 · 10/10 · 15 May 2024]

I had read the book a few years ago which I thought was excellent. It was the very moving and powerful story of Lale Sokolov. I was hoping the series would live up-to the expectations of the book. I was pleasantly surprised that it does. The casting is excellent the four main lead characters played by Harvey Keitel , Jonah Hauer-King, Melanie Lynskey and Anna Próchniak were so well cast. Casting Jewish actors to play the roles and Polish actors to play the roles of the camp inmates was a wise genuine choice. The series is harrowing yet very moving and seeing the love story played out is heartwarming. I expect this series to do very well come awards season as everything about it is top notch. I thoroughly recommend it. A must watch.

Good, buy could have been great..

[meow-57889 · 6/10 · 6 May 2024]

It annoyed me that they put a spoiler in like the 4th episode where they tell us they were together for 55 years, why would you do that in your own show?!

Husband lostt complete interest on the show after that, I continued the show after finding nothing else 5 days later.

Also so distracting that they put Rose from 2 and a half Men in there with a terrible blonde wig and an; what we thought New Zealand or South African accent? Apparently its an Australian accent?? We couldn't tell, we're Australian btw.

It really took us out of the story and the vibe of the show.

Were they trying to make it light hearted by doing this? Pulling us out of the terrible things that happened? I don't know.

Also the English accent on the Jewish guy, I would think that a Jewish accent would have been easier than a mixed Australian/New Zealand/South African accent.

If they wanted to make it really impact full, they shouldn't have bothered with these things.

Get rid of the try-hard Australian accent, have a neutral interviewer, get the guy to at least Try to do a Jewish accent, it isn't that hard, don't give away your own ending in your Own Show!

Plus her getting annoyed at him was unnecessary to put in, she feels so deeply for him and his story that she has a panic attack, but gets annoyed at him calling because he wants some human conversation or contact after his wife dies.

Also if they wanted to make a meaningful impact when they show the random faces of those who died, instead of being actors, show the REAL photographs of the people who died, pay tribute. That would have been Incredibly impactful, a missed opportunity.

The real footage of Lali and the interview is a million more times impactful than most of what they put in the movie.

Scenery was great, costumes great.. Make up Not so much. Directors could have gone a bit harder on it. If you've seen Real photos of Auschwitz it is Far far worse. They look like skeletons; they were so gaunt and malnourished. Should have portrayed that better.

I did like the story, but it felt too Disney-fied fairytale for me, glamourising it, making it a love story.

Polished.

[matt_hew · 5/10 · 18 May 2024]

We all know of the horrific events of Auschwitz, the trauma, the brutality and the unbearable suffering.

We've seen the footage, the photos, the documentaries, the tv shows and the movies which depict all of the above.

This show chooses to showcase a PG version of these horrors in what can only be described as a jumbled mess of production across the six episodes.

The unconvincing lead although being Slovakian sounding like he's come straight from Cambridge, who looks immaculate for the majority of his time at the camp (seriously looked as though he has his uniform washed & pressed each day) fails to capture the reality of the situation.

Time is also an issue. The show fails to portray the longevity of the suffering of the prisoners and how this factors into the story. This is conflicted by the sudden rush at in the final episodes where time becomes an urgent factor.

The biggest confusion is - for the most part - the unnecessary need for the jumps between present to past as rather than enriching the events became more of a distraction. This is further heightened by the need to show the (older) lead having different accounts of the events in the camp. It would have had more meaning if it was solely from his perspective, but as the show jumps around with implied events of the other characters throughout just distracts further. Why Melanie Lynskey was cast was a strange choice and her Aussie accent even more peculiar.

The show spends its entire run dipping in and out of events, cherry picking elements from characters to situations without seeing any of it through. Even the brutality of the camp seems piecemeal as a reminder rather than an actual reality.

Harvey Keitel as the older Lale Sokolov is remarkable and Anna Próchniak's portrayal as Gita is not only remarkable but the only reason you have to watch the show through to its conclusion.

everyone should watch this

[amine-2010 · 9/10 · 13 May 2024]

Forget ur garbage series from NETFLIX and stupid mindlees series, and try this make urself useful learn something from the past , and see how people survived not by parents or smartphone or cops but by love and soul and heart, the guy whos talking here that ive seen enough WWII from docus /books and many man series and films but always COME AND SEE is one of the greatest but this show is very close to it , one problem i have is the LANGUAGE if nazi is german should speak german also same to slovak and czech and polish , the accent of the whole cast was bad because they're not english actors.

Anyways actress Anna Próchniak as Gita Furmanova they need to give her EMMY award now no need for nomination or anything shes just perfection her actiing was ohenomenal.

Love finds the way...

[garethwooduk · 10/10 · 15 May 2024]

I've always had a fasination all things WWII and of the Holocaust, not for the sadness and the slaughter of innocent Jewish lives, but the stories of the people and how they've survived, a testament to its people & culture.

I never knew till recently this was a book written from the story of our main character 'Lale Sokolov' who became a Tattooist, branding everyone who enters the camp like cattle.

Whats remarkable is how the love struck prisoners managed to survive, with the constant threat that you could be next in line to be sent to the chambers.

The acting is so on point, Harvey Keitel playing the older 'Lale' with such conviction telling his harrowing story.

Having visited Auschwitz-Birkenau I can now imagine how living in constance fear would always be at the front of your mind, everyone sharing the same burden of the fear of death.

Beautifully shot for all its long shots of its disturbing visuals of chimneys engulfed with smoke from the fully functioning 24/7 crematoriums is just pure dread, or the blue tones of the Winter cold air, makes you shiver.

But its important to watch to ensure something like this never happens again, love... Finds a way... through the dark.

Harrowing story, beautifully told

[traceytak · 10/10 · 5 May 2024]

I read reviews before watching. One uneducated review complains that it is not factually correct and cites that Mengele did not do experiments on homosexuals. It seems that person did not pay attention to the story as Mengele does not feature in the series. Dr Schumann does, however, feature and he certainly did do them there.

This is a story that is hard to watch because it is so sad and brutal yet laced with a heartwarming fight for survival because of the strong power of love between two people. It made me question what would I do in their place (and not just the main two characters, but all of them, if it were me. I couldn't answer, no one can. The series shows both the beautiful side of human nature and the extremely ugly side also. It was very thought provoking. The actors play their parts very well and are to be commended in portraying the helplessness, the aggression, and the vulnerability in what is one of the worst places ever to exist in history.

Utterly magnificent

[danniaharnett · 10/10 · 11 May 2024]

The first episode was a little slow but boy did it hot up after that. This is one of the most outstanding series I have seen in years. The young leads were both fabulous, the story tragic and heartbreaking. I found myself grateful for the poignant love story as a juxtaposition to the horror of this story that for me perfectly dovetailed in with my other reading of Auschwitz, like Primo Leo's "If this is a man" as well as non fiction references.

I have wondered all my life how such an horrific thing could actually ever happen, lately I've begun to see how.

I am truly grateful to have a series do this period of history justice without over dwelling on the horror but giving us a window into the period.

Thank God we didn't have to endure insensitive, stupid "diversity" casting that is now appearing everywhere and having me switch off most TV.

Cried so much

[simonwong-21996 · 10/10 · 10 May 2024]

I cried so much watching this words can't come into my head so I am just going to say We still live with evil in mankind. I watched it all in one night and its the definitely best movie I have watched in the past year we shouldn't forget what happened with all mankind in all wars I also got so angry aswell watching it that one control freak could ever do this tbh it's still going in the world today the stories that been told should never be forgotten I feel ashamed to be human that anyone could get away with it but tbh we turn a blind eye to it and still do this is must movie to be watched end.

A love story found through all the misery...

[DukeEman · 9/10 · 3 May 2024]

Too harrowing to watch the suffering and degradation of humans, no matter how many times this has been depicted in countless holocaust movies. By now you will have thought that we have become immune to it, but I guess the horror of it will never go away, in order to remind us of how low and destructive the human condition can be. What makes The Tattooist of Auschwitz slightly different is that a love story is found through all the misery.

The protagonist, Lale Sokolov, has to live by his wits in order to survive the concentration camp, sometimes to the point where your morals are compromised and any dignity as a human being vanishes. What Lale endures is heart wrenching, but what he finds in this hellish pit-hole is Gita (Anna Próchniak is perfection), a hope that will get him through it all. There are so many obstacles to endure, and every corner there is no future, but bleakness, and somehow Lale and Gita have to fight their way through it.

What the makers of this series have managed to do is really get to tell a compelling true story that has you transfixed to the screen (watched it all in one seating), with the assistance of powerful performances from the cast (where even Harvey Keitel is still at the top of his craft). A powerful series, where unfortunately the low rating ("6" when writing this review, and would not be surprised that some have not seen it), which may be due to the current political climate.

A piece of fiction

[the_mikatu · 6/10 · 11 May 2024]

Many watch this and still believe this is a real story. Let me tell you this is fiction based on real events. It is confusing and dangerous because some will believe what this saw here was real or mostly real when in reality this is just a real story about two people that met in a concentration camp surrounded by fiction.

This series is not bad but is far from being great. The acting isn't great but the worst is the story.

There are so many errors and inaccuracies.

For example, the gypsies are seen in the camp wearing their own cloths and the women with long hairs. Well, they are put in a separate camp within the camp but they were treated like everyone else, and had to shave their heads.

Other example is the relationship between Lale and the SS guard. Too unrealistic to be credible and almost a friendship.

Finally the women are seen sharing food and giving it to a sick inmate. When in reality the food was so scarce that it was a dog-eat-dog situation and no one was giving away food.

So, in the end, this is a nice show if you enjoy this theme, but nothing groundbreaking will be found here. The complete unrealistic story together with the overall bad acting will push away everybody else.

Truly moving

[jsvpmtfz · 10/10 · 3 May 2024]

Just binge watched this since yesterday and powerful movie . Went through every emotion and sobbed at end . We cannot even fathom what they must of gone through and let's hope nothing like this ever happens again . A truly moving and heartbreaking one.. this truly deserves an award to all the actors who did this as well as lali for telling his story which needs to be told . For him or others to tell their story they must live through it again and must take some strength as if it's not bad enough they have already lived through .. it's such a shame only 10% of the monsters who put them through this were arrested.

Melanie Lynskey Miscast

[zinitime · 6/10 · 5 May 2024]

Sorry, but whoever cast Melanie Lynskey as a British woman, what-to-be author, did a great disservice to this series. She has the worst British accent I've ever heard. The way she pronounces words, like the number ten, is beyond laughable. She ruins the entire series. She was terrific in Two and a Half Men, but she's a lousy actress in dramas.

The story is pretty much the standard prisoner in a German concentration camp movie with some rather unbelievable moments in it . But, from what I read, it's not considered to be an accurate depiction of life at the notorious death camp. The movie pretty much jumps over all the horrors of a concentration camp life. It concentrates on the activities of one Jewish prisoner who loves a woman in the camp, and his job in the camp as a tattoo creator for the new prisoners. He gets extra food which he likes to bring back and share with his fellow prisoners. I never heard of any concentration camp prisoner, ever getting enough food to share with others. In a way it's insulting to those who survived the camps, and even more to those who didn't! It doesn't depict the horrors that existed. It brushes over them those scenes quickly. Even the scene with three men being hung has no feeling to it. It shows very little of the horrors that these people lived through.

It,s a rather disappointing series. If my relatives had been Jewish, and prisoners in a concentration camp during World War II, I'd be insulted by this TV series. It's just not right, in my opinion, to sanitize what happened to these people in the way this TV series seems to do.

Story marred by poor, wooden acting

[ojaneoo · 2/10 · 9 May 2024]

I must admit that I am perplexed by the rave reviews. We made it through episode 1, but a potentially very interesting, albeit harrowing, story is fatally marred by dire direction and woodenly amateurish acting.

Surely a story such as this deserves far better performances and direction. The sets are clearly well designed to be fair, but the rest is sadly lacking. Especially with the lead performances, although Harvey Keitel as the much older lead is immeasurably better. I suspect the woodeness is due to the non English actors speaking English? Perhaps they are concentrating more on the foreign Language rather than their performances? It would probably have been far better if they spoke their native language and the series was subtitled.

Very disappointing, and a wasted opportunity.

A must see

[sheetst-54389 · 10/10 · 6 May 2024]

A definite eye opener, will make a person appreciate what they have and never take small things for granted. All those lives lost over pure hatred is so sad. My heart and soul wept while watching, and one of my favorite lines of the series was when Lali said to Heather, not word for word, " No matter a person's color, if we are shot, we all bleed the same" The characters are amazing, at times I felt I was there with them. It takes bravery and strength to endure the torture that these poor people had to go through. I can't imagine just how bad it was, and how they felt. It's so easy to get caught up in this fast paced world we live in, sometimes we need a reminder of just how lucky we are.