It comes off as to no surprise that when western fans think of the climax in "Shane," they referred to the scene in the saloon when Shane kills the villains. They're not wrong. It is the last action scene in the movie involving Shane taking out the pack of villains who have been threatening him and the people around him for the whole film. It's the scene that all audiences have been waiting for since we met these criminals anxiously hoping for Shane to give them a taste of their own medicine. Though the villains are the foil to the plot, their involvement is not the real focus of the movie. Judging by how the film plays out, it is no surprise that Shane will effortlessly kill the villains since he is built-up to be one of the greatest gunslingers in the west. We haven't seen him duel with criminals until this point, which would be anti-climatic if he didn't succeed. Most of the film focuses on the relationships between Shane and the rancher Joe Starrett along with his family, based on how they perceive him. A little before Shane entertains the saloon, we get a fistfight between Shane and Joe. A scene that's heartbreaking yet exciting, and looks and feels way more dramatic and intense than the actual duel at the end of the film. What I'm about to say may sound strange and unpopular, but the final fight between Joe and Shane acts as the film's real climax than the scene that follows.
Before their fight, Shane is allowed to work on Joe's farm, giving him the chance to hang up his guns for good to start a new after spending so many years killing, shooting, and drifting. Unfortunately, Shane has trouble escaping from his past due to a gang of outlaws including notorious gunslinger Jack Wilson hired by cattle Baron Rufus Ryker, who plans to force people off the land so he can claim what he believes his. Shane has stayed in his farmhand clothes as a means to adapt to his new surroundings and cover up his old identity. When the stakes become higher than they ever were before between Joe and Ryker's posse, Shane approaches Joe wearing the original buck-skinned clothing that he left behind when he started working. This difference in costumes uses Iconography to reinforces the duality of Shane's character. Shane wearing the clothes he wore when he first rode to the farm, expresses that he can't run away from his past. He'll always be a gunslinger at heart, making this sudden change of wardrobe significant to Shane accepting who he is.
Two conflicting themes used in many western are seen before and during the fight. The first being the Effete vs. the Virile. The effete is Joe, who is weak by fighting fair, and the virile is, of course, Shane, who is smarter and more vicious than his rival. Joe feels envious to be as tough as Shane is. He's able to fight and find ways to keep him and the other homesteaders secure during Ryker's raid of terror, but he does not possess the knowledge and skills of the gunslinger working with Ryker. When being invited to have a meeting with Ryker, Joe plans to have him killed, knowing that Ryker will still cause harm. Joe's wife Marion acknowledges that he will die trying, but Joe would rather die a hero as opposed to living his life as a coward. Shane agrees that Joe's mission will be suicidal, acknowledging that the homesteaders' efforts will go in vain without Joe's help. To keep him alive, knowing that words will not change his mind, he challenges him to a fistfight.
Domestic Implements VS. Guns become the second conflicting theme that's visually expressed during the fight. The fight is set within the confines of Joe's farm as Joe fights Shane with the determination to defend his home his way. What Joe is refusing to realize is that the domestic beings on his farm are fearful of the uncertainty of the domestic order. We watch frightened animals trying to flee the scene and watch Marion cry in terror. The fight itself is viewed from a domesticated frame as well, like through a window, or underneath a wagon. The use of animals and objects around the two provide meaning to their relationship and struggle during this scene. The startled animals act just as violently wild as both characters are. The tree stump that they pulled out together subtly reminded us of a time when they were both allies that are now long gone. And the low angle shot of the fight shown through farm carriage, and between horses' hooves show Shane's life transitioning back to the way it used to be. This is where guns come into play because now that Shane has fully evolved back to an outlaw, he does what Ryker would have done to Joe. He uses his dishonest tactics as a gunslinger to win the fight by overpowering Joe's fists with the butt of his pistol.
For the majority of the fight, we're watching it from the perspective of Joe's son, little Joey. If dealing with Ryker and his men isn't enough to pull Shane back to his roots, in comfort among Joe's family, he still can't forget his past for how Joey idolizes him for his outlaw stature, promoting him to partake in violence and gunslinging. This relationship creates a bit of tension between Shane and Joey's parents. As Marion fears how his outlaw nature is influencing her son, Joe feels his son will not look at him as noble when compared to Shane. While Joey witnesses the two duking it out, he finds himself still struggling with which side he's on, unaware of the reasons why they are fighting. Little Joey is at first repulsed by Shane using his gun to win the fight, taking his Father's side. After being told by his mother why he did what he did a few moments after Shane leaves, Joey forgives Shane and chases him as he rides off to kill Ryker's posse in the saloon. Shortly after the battle, Shane says goodbye to little Joey, telling him to protect his family. Like a traditional western involving an outlaw protagonist, Shane rides away since he has no place to settle down in life. No matter how many times little Joey calls for Shane to "come back" he keeps riding on knowing that he has no place living a domestic life.
This scene is more than just Shane getting into a fight with Joe; this is the point where everything tragically changes for the better despite the characters not wanting things to turn out how they are. We are sad to see Shane leave the farm and revert to his old self, but we know he's the only man who can save Joe and society from Ryker. It's unfortunate to see two allies now turn against each other, yet Shane's actions are justified. As we sit there questioning how this fight is going to end (though its clear Shane will kill Ryker and Wilson one way or the other), we wonder what will become of the family's domestic environment. Moreover, we query how this fight will affect their relationship with Little Joey. There's nothing at all wrong with the action taking place after, it's an awesome scene too. Factually, the gunfight does serve as the film's final resolution. But seeing how much time we've spent watching Shane try distancing from his past, as his presence affects the family he's with, this whole scene is the most significant part of the story of how we see these relationships wrap-up for the greater good. Shane may not leave the picture just yet, but it doesn't mean that the character arcs aren't complete, all while containing thrill, excitement, and tragedy, all shown in one scene filmed at a grand-scale level.
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