Liquid crystal display device

A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising in an order from a viewer side:

• a liquid crystal panel;
• a light control layer;
• and
• a surface light source device,
• wherein the liquid crystal panel includes:
• a liquid crystal cell;
• a viewer-side polarizing plate arranged on the viewer side of the liquid crystal cell;
• and a back surface-side polarizing plate arranged on an opposite side to the viewer side of the liquid crystal cell,
• wherein the light control layer includes in an order from the viewer side:
• a first transparent substrate;
• a first transparent electrode layer;
• a composite layer of a polymer matrix and a liquid crystal compound;
• a second transparent electrode layer;
• and a second transparent substrate,
• wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate each independently have a thickness of 70 μm or less,
• wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate each independently have a front retardation at a wavelength of 590 nm of 50 nm or less,
• wherein the surface light source device is configured to emit, from a light emitting surface opposed to the light control layer, light which has directivity in an approximately normal direction of the light emitting surface, and which contains a linearly polarized light component that vibrates in a specific direction at a high ratio,
• wherein a vibration direction of the linearly polarized light component is approximately parallel to a transmission axis of the back surface-side polarizing plate, and
• wherein the light control layer has a parallel light transmittance of from 80% to 99% in a light transmitting state.