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Forever War

I think a film or television version of Joe Haldemann's novel could be achieved. In this version extreme measures are taken to control the population and there is no faster-than-light travel. The starships are powered by anti-matter drives and also use solar sails. A vessel capable of journeying to a target system and returning can achieve a velocity of 22% of lightspeed. The crew enter hibernation during most of the journey. In extremis a ship can travel at 44% of lightspeed and this method is sometimes used to avoid enemy ships or to attack enemy bases.
When Mandela is conscripted there is no knowledge of alien life but a number of exoplanets are believed to contain life. UNEF and the Elite Conscription Act are established in order to send the most qualified expeditions to these planets to establish their suitability for colonisation.
Private Mandela's platoon is the first to encounter a Tauran base. When their landing craft is shot down during his second tour of duty the UNEF brass confirm that intelligent-and belligerent-life exists elsewhere in the universe. UNEF reacts by extending the number of tours from two to an infinite number, ending only when the conscripted reaches the age of 25.

Well.......
that was idea one anyway.

I think a version can be made which is more faithful to the source material but in which the UN controls the population by discouraging vaginal intercourse.        

Version two: The war, or at least it's preparation, begins in 1992. Mandela is conscripted in a secret programme in 1997. The general public is aware of the Tauran's existence when a Tauran vessel is discovered on the surface of Mars in 2035. The shuttle programme is used for this secret war along with a secret conscription programme.   
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