The present invention is to solve a problem that, conventionally, there is a risk of impurity elution when the optical retardation control layer obtainable by photopolymerization comes into contact with the liquid crystal layer because of the deterioration in heat resistance of the optical retardation control layer due to high temperature of post-process, the insufficient chemical resistance or the like. .alpha.-amino alkylphenone based 2-methyl-1[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholinopropane-1-one or 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-butanone-1 are used as a photopolymerization initiator to be compounded in a composition for forming an optical retardation control layer or other optically functional layers.