Is it heaven?

Just saw this at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Film Fest. Despite the usual gaffes (blaring sound, grainy image) the film is stunning in many respects. Although I'm sure the film is an indictment of consumer-oriented society, I felt that the film needed something of a context. Was the city supposed to be heaven? And if the main character was so desperate to get out, why didn't they let him escape through the "birth canal" in the stone??? Anyhow, it beat the crap out of "Disturbia"!