Read "The Master and Margarita." I wouldn't say that the principle of "everything is known in comparison" applies 100% in this case, but there is still a feeling that it's a "prototype" and something "created based on a model." As for the film, the director simply depicted Bulgakov's work. Therefore, your words about how everyone sees what they want to see also apply to the film. Essentially, the film's "cardboard" quality is a reflection of the novel's "cardboard" quality, no more, no less, which may seem unfortunate. One of the most attractive features of the novel is the novelty and originality of the idea, but if it turns out that the idea is not original, then, apart from a few remarkable images and the same satire,