It is an object of the invention to improve the viewing angle properties of a liquid crystal display device by controlling the state of orientation of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal display device is constructed with an liquid crystal display element disposed between a pair of polarizing plates, and with phase difference plates disposed between each polarizing plate and the liquid crystal display element. The phase difference plates are selected so that nx.gtoreq.nz>ny is satisfied and the Nz value is in the range of 0.ltoreq.Nz.ltoreq.0.5. The liquid crystal display element is constructed by placing a liquid crystal layer between substrate members prepared by forming transparent electrodes and orientation films in the pair of light transmitting plates, and the liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the transparent electrodes is used as picture elements. One picture element contains mixed liquid crystal molecules with different pretilt angles controlled by a light irradiation step after application and baking of the film material for the orientation films As a result, it is possible to obtain excellent display quality in both of the opposing viewing angle directions.