You Can Live Forever... at a Price

In Being John Malkovich, we see a number of characters who plan to live forever. Not only do they want to live forever, but also they actually are living forever. Dr. Lester is 105 years old and plans to continue living in John Malkovich's body until the next vessel is ready. The most important part of any vessel is its ripeness which is not reached until the age of forty-four, and the only concern would be if the present vessel died before the next vessel was available.

Although people are able to live forever, they must sacrifice something for this privilege. All those who enter a vessel that is ripe must sacrifice their old bodies in order to inhabit the new body. All the old hopes and dreams must be given up as they change bodies so that they actually can live forever...