The rod-like molecules of a liquid-crystal material are sandwiched between two glass plates which
are twisted with respect to each other during manufacturing process. The light is linearly polarized by
the front glass, and then its polarization is twisted by the liquid crystal so that when it reaches
the second polarized glass plate, it is blocked (dark). A voltage applied across the glass sandwich
untwists the stack of liquid crystal molecules, aligning the polarizations of the light and of the
second glass plate - and so the light gets through (bright).
This is a transmission LCD arrangement; in many devices the second glass plate is actually a mirror.
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