In a liquid-crystal display device having a pi-cell configuration between crossed polarizers and having a liquid-crystal retardation value such that it is possible to switch from a Bright state at low voltage to a Dark state at high voltage, the voltage for setting the Dark state can be lowered by making use of retardation films whose optical axes are parallel to the cell surfaces and perpendicular to the projection direction of the liquid-crystal director on the cell surfaces. Positioning of said films on both sides of the pi-cell in such a way that the total film retardation on the one side is equal to that on the other side results in angle-of-view-dependent transmission characteristics having better symmetry than in the case of the films being positioned on one side.