There is provided a liquid-crystal-layer 15 in which an electrical field is applied in a direction parallel to a first substrate. Respective absorption axes of the first substrate provided with a first polarizing-plate 12 on a light-input side and a second substrate provided with a second polarizing-plate 11 on a light-output side are perpendicular. An optical axis of the liquid-crystal-molecule is parallel to the output polarizing-plate 11 and the absorption axis of the input polarizing-plate 12. A matrix-drive-electrode group is positioned on a side of the liquid-crystal-layer 15 of the first or second substrate. The input and output polarizing-plate are composed of a polarizing layer and a supporting-substrate material. The supporting-substrate material is present on the liquid-crystal-layer side of the polarizing layer. The supporting-substrate material of one of the input or output polarizing-plate is birefringent, and the Nz coefficient being 4 or more. The other supporting-substrate material is optically isotropic.