PURPOSE: To display an image with the good transmission contrast, namely to display the image with a good white letter in the blue or green colored back coating, even if displaying the image in a white light by making parallel or almost parallel the direction of the polarizing axis of a polarizer with the direction of the mean molecule axis of a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

CONSTITUTION: The liquid crystal molecular layer 12 is sealed between substrates (glass plates) 11, 11' coated with a transparent electrode composed of a thin film of In2O3, SnO2 or ITO in such a way that the liquid crystal having the SmC* phase is orientated so as to make vertical towards the glass surface. When a voltage having a prescribed value is impressed between the substrates 11, 11', the spiral structure of the liquid crystal molecule 13 is loosened, thereby enabling to change the direction of the orientation of the liquid crystal molecule 13 so as to direct all the dipole moment 14 to the direction of an electric field. The liquid crystal molecule 13 has a long and slender shape, and has different anisotropies of the refractive indexes in the directions of the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis respectively. Thus, in the case of the guest-host system, the liquid crystal optical element capable of changing the optical characteristics according to the polarity impressed a voltage is obtd. by providing one of the poralizer.