A birefringent interference polarizer which may be fabricated from readily available materials using established coextrusion techniques is provided. The polarizer has a level of light absorption near zero and can be fabricated to polarize and reflect light of specific wavelengths while transmitting light of other wavelengths. The polarizer includes multiple alternating oriented layers of at least first and second polymeric materials having respective nonzero stress optical coefficients which are sufficiently different to produce a refractive index mismatch between the first and second polymeric materials in a first plane which is different from the refractive index mismatch between the first and second polymeric materials in a second plane normal to the first plane. The refractive index mismatch in the first plane is preferably at least 0.03.