A folded-path optical component usable as an ocular lens in a near-eye display is disclosed. The folded-path optical component includes a cavity formed by a pair of spaced apart coaxial curved reflective polarizers, and a partial reflector in the cavity for splitting an impinging light beam to propagate along two optical paths ending at an exit pupil of the optical component. Each optical path includes a reflection from one of the reflective polarizers and a transmission through the other one of the reflective polarizers.