In a liquid crystal display device having a driving liquid crystal cell interposed between two polarizers 1 and 4, the cell having a liquid crystal layer 3e held between two substrates 3a and 3b, the layer having a twisted molecular alignment when no voltage is applied, and the liquid crystal cell performing optical control, using the optical anisotropy of liquid crystal, there is provided with an optical anisotropic element 2 between the polarizer and the driving liquid crystal cell, the optical anisotropic element 2 comprising an optical anisotropic substance layer 2c in which the optical rotatory power is minimal in the direction of layer thickness and the optical anisotropy is negative. The angle of the optical axis of the optical anisotropic element 2 varies continuously or in stages in the direction of layer thickness of the optical anisotropic element as against the surface of the optical anisotropic element. Furthermore, optical anisotropic element with negative optical anisotropy can be combine to the anisotropically negative element.