Vid: Bloodbenders Build a Levee

[attackfish]

Disclaimer: The music for this vid is Natalie Merchant's "Build a Levee", as performed live in San Diago on March 30, 2002. The footage in this vid comes from Avatar: the Last Airbender, and The Legend of Korra, which belong to Nickelodeon, as well as to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

Summary: To bloodbend is to take back control.

Warning: Spoilers for all of Korra, Book 1, and all of Airbender Book 3.  Also *Spoiler, highlight to read* canon violence, canon murder-suicide, canon child abuse, canon animal cruelty, bloodbenders bending blood, just general creepiness.

Creator Commentary: Happy Halloween!  And happy early birthday to me!


Bloodbenders Build a Levee

Comments

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

I like it. It's dark, but, at the same time...I don't know. The song says you have to make a choice when you have that sort of power and Katara at least makes the right one even as the others give into their despair and rage and thirst for power. And you showed that...all these people failed in the face of the power offered them.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

It's not just what you do about having power. I commented to weirdlet that every time we see bloodbending learned, the new bloodbender is shown to be the victim of their teacher, including Hama, if you count the Fire Nation war prison as her teacher. It's what you do about being made a victim. Hama, Tarrlok, and Amon (and possibly Yakone, but we don't know if he was ever a victim) choose to make more victims. Katara chooses to help others, and not to take revenge, but to seek justice.