Abstract
A polarized light irradiation method for achieving both wide view-field angles and display uniformity with less display irregularity as well as an apparatus for use in attaining this polarized light irradiation method. After reshaping output light from a light source 100 into a beam pattern BP, a polarized light separation plate 108 is used to separate therefrom only P-polarized wave components while simultaneously causing the polarizing axis of the separated P-polarized wave components to be identical to the short side direction of the rectangular beam pattern BP thereby letting it pass through an organic high-molecular or polymeric film acting as an optical radiation surface 110 for addition of a liquid crystal orientation controllability thereto.