Abstract: A display system (10) or display (12) has a supertwisted nematic liquid crystal cell (30) located between first and second polarizing filters (24, 54) that have respective first (26) and second (56) transmission axes that form respective polar angles (A, D) with a reference plane (28). The first polarizing filter passes a neutral polarized color along the first transmission axis and has another transmission axis (27) orthogonal to the first transmission axis and transmissive of a purple polarized color; the second polarizing filter is of a neutral density type. The cell has first and second electrode structures (32, 34) confining a liquid crystal composition, each having an inner surface with respective liquid crystal alignment directions (38, 40) of inner-surface-contacting directors of the liquid crystal composition forming respective polar angles (B, C) with the reference plane. The second polarizing filter may be associated with a translucent film (64) to reflect light toward the second polarizing filter.