I agree, but it is only part western. It is also Samurai movies, The Wizard of Oz, King Arthur, Flash Gordon, The Lord of the Rings, and even screwball romantic comedies like Bringing Up Baby. Lucas's genius was to fuse all these elements via a quantum leap in visual effects, and turn them into a singular, lightning-from-a-clear-sky cinematic landmark that felt entirely fresh and new. The seismic impact - for better and worse - is still being felt.