Erin Free
WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Written in 1974 by leading science fiction scribe Joe Haldeman, The Forever War is a sprawling tale that bounces across time and space, while also making myriad comment on the nature of war, and on modern society itself. Set in a future when Earth’s scientists have discovered how to travel to the far flung corners of the solar system through stellar worm-holes, the book’s central character is William Mandella, a gifted physicist conscripted and trained to fight the Taurans, an alien race with whom Earth has entered into conflict. Now an accomplished – but still reluctant and morally ambivalent – soldier, Mandella is involved in bloody battles on the other side of the universe. Travelling through the worm-holes, however, has a time dilation effect: while Mandella and his military colleagues only age a couple of years, back on Earth, decades have passed. Upon returning after his first combat tour, Mandella discovers a vastly changed world: food is scarce; street violence is rampant; and due to gross over-population, the UN has openly encouraged homosexuality, leading to a gay majority. Though a decorated war hero, Mandella has troubled fitting back into society, and eventually re-enlists in the military, continuing to battle the Taurans, and painfully marking the seismic societal changes each time he returns to Earth. In the book’s strikingly ironic climax, Mandella – while finally finding peace – also discovers that the centuries-old war with the Taurans was born out of what was, essentially, a mistake.
WHY WOULD IT MAKE A GOOD MOVIE? Drawn from his own feelings of disconnection upon returning home after serving in Vietnam, Joe Haldeman’s award winning novel boasts finely drawn characters; a military training passage that plays like Full Metal Jacket on steroids; staggering battle sequences; a futurist vision rivalling Brave New World and 1984; and lots of daring humour, particularly relating to the battle-hardened Mandella’s eventual commanding of an all-gay combat squadron, who refer to their leader – now a minority heterosexual – as “Old Queer.” While the book’s science needs overhauling, its themes (the futility of war; the confusing manner in which society can so quickly and seemingly arbitrarily shift) remain as timely as ever. The Forever War could be that joyous rarity: a sci-fi action blockbuster with brains.
WHO SHOULD MAKE IT? While once a touted project for Ridley Scott, the complex emotions, pointed social commentary and black humour of The Forever War would be far safer in the hands of keenly intelligent young filmmaker Duncan Jones, who has proven himself a new master of thoughtful sci-fi and action with the lauded Moon and Source Code, and gets behind the camera for his first big budget effort with the upcoming Warcraft. 
WHO SHOULD BE IN IT? As the heroic but deeply complex William Mandella, only recent Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio, has the right combination of box office clout, charisma, intelligence and physical authority for the role. He could beautifully excavate the central core of this emotionally wounded interstellar warrior, and thus anchor what would undoubtedly be a challenging film on an epic scale. The other central role is that of Marygay Potter, Mandella’s equally tough military colleague, with whom he shares a deep, unbreakable, centuries-long romantic bond. With her beauty and strength, Rachel Weisz would be the perfect fit. There are also a host of supporting roles (Donald Sutherland and Ellen Burstyn as Marygay’s hippie parents; Vera Farmiga as a decisive medical officer) that would contribute to the film’s rich tapestry.
Where’s the freakin’ movie already?